Love Is Like A Baseball Bat
by StarvingWriterMaeve
Summary: Love is like a baseball bat. It's used as a weapon if needed. It's something you hold close to you, something to be used with all of your strength. You have to fight to get a decent swing, just like the good relationships are worth fighting for. - Completed
1. Back To School Blues

**Love Is Like A Baseball Bat**

_Chapter One - Back To School Blues_

He couldn't help it.

His eyes slowly drooped shut and his golden yellow hair fell onto his face.

"Excuse me, _Arnold, _please sit up and wipe your drool. This is important!" The echoing sound of a slamming book finally brought Arnold to open his eyes.

"Yes?" he grumbled as he rubbed his eyes.

"Focus please. I know AP Economics isn't the most exciting class, and I'm trying to make it less painful. If you want to nap, I can happily drop you out," Mr. Gregor, the seventy-five year old ex-college professor, smiled at the football headed boy.

"No, thank you, Sir. I'm sorry about falling asleep. My grandma -"

Mr. Gregor slammed his ruler on the empty desk in the front of the room. "I don't want excuses. You're not making a good first impression, Arnold. It's only the first day of school." Arnold couldn't believe it either. He felt his cheeks flush with embarrassment. The first day of junior year and he fell asleep in class? It was very unlike him.

"I know, Sir. I'm sorry." Arnold looked the man straight in the eyes and smiled. Mr. Gregor returned to the white board, turning his back on the class as he began to write words Arnold had only seen his Grandpa read in the newspaper.

Arnold tried to focus, but he could hear the ticking of the clock only a few feet behind him. It was already seventh period and he was fifteen minutes away from freedom. Arnold found himself scribbling in his notebook, simple gibberish. A squiggle there, a dot here, a circle.

The bell's loud ring seemed to bring Arnold out of his doodling zone and brought his focus onto the paper. There were a few girl's names towards the bottom of the zig zag lines.

_Ruth. Lila. Cecile. Helga._

Arnold's eyes almost fell out of his head as he read the last name. Why was his childhood bully's name amid his past crushes?

Oh, he could remember the girls clearly. Ruth was a bubbly brunette and a supposedly interesting older woman. She was a sixth grader, but she ended up being nothing but a pretty face. Arnold had learned the truth on his wild fourth grade Valentine's Day.

Lila was the red headed farm girl who moved to the city in fourth grade. Arnold could remember "like like"-ing her for months, but he finally moved on. She was sweet, but once again, she was nothing but a pretty face.

And Cecile was his fourth grade pen pal from France. He went on a date with her on Valentine's Day, but she seemed so familiar. Arnold found it hard to explain, even to himself. She seemed to be like. . .

_Helga, _the last name on the list_. _That name sent chills down his spine. Although it seemed a little strange for a sixteen year old boy to still feel that way about a girl. . .but it wasn't just a girl. It was _Helga Geraldine Pataki_. She had constantly picked on him for years on end, calling him "football head", "geek-bait" and a dozen other things, spitting thousands of shreds of paper into his hair. She spilled glue and feathers on his butt. She never stopped picking on him and took advantage of his nice nature. She was the one thing Arnold had hated about his life.

But she had her nice moments. She found his little blue hat, the last gift from his parents, supplied money for him to build his dream float, and she was a great dancer, plus she mellowed out slightly over the years. . .

_No, stop! _Arnold's mind screamed. _She was a bully to you._

Arnold couldn't help but shake his head. He was overcome with deja vu as he looked to the ground, almost hoping to see paper rain from his hair. But there was nothing. _But she only picked on me because she loved me, _his mind replied.

As shocking as it seemed, it was true. He still, seven years later, felt like she was joking.

Arnold could remember the day like it was yesterday. Arnold and his best friend, Gerald, wanted to save their neighborhood from being destroyed and turned into a mall by Future Tech Industries, Inc.

There was less than twenty minutes left to save the neighborhood from demolition, and their unknown guidance of Deep Voice turned out to be Helga. She had the confessed her reason for helping - she was in love with him. Arnold was shocked to his very core. Then, Arnold couldn't help but blush at the thought now, _she kissed him. _Arnold had to push her off of him, then he had to focus on the important task: saving the neighborhood.

After they stopped FTi, Arnold had asked her if she really meant it. Helga agreed that she was caught up in the moment, and their lives as bully and victim continued. But things had changed between them. To Arnold, Helga didn't seem to be as harsh as she used to be. He knew it was because she hadn't been lying and she truly loved him. Sometimes it seemed to be hard to remember her undying love for him because the bullying went on through middle school, and he knew it would happen as soon as he saw her today. He didn't see her all summer, so he figured she had something big up her sleeve. Arnold still wouldn't be home free until he made it to the Sunset Arms.

Arnold quickly exited the classroom, avoiding all of the underclassmen and fellow juniors as he made a mad dash for his locker.

Gerald, his dark skinned, suddenly-taller-than-his-hair, best friend saw the anxious look on Arnold's face. "Dude, chill. She's not anywhere near here. How you've managed to avoid her all day, I'll never know," Gerald shut his locker too.

"I know, but I have to go Gerald. Call me later?" The two did their signature handshake, knuckle-to-knuckle, thumb-to-thumb.

"Wait. Have you seen Phoebe?" Phoebe was Gerald's sweet, studious, quiet, Japanese girlfriend. They had been dating since sixth grade, after a lot of pushing from their peers. They truly loved each other, though. "I haven't seen her since second period."

Arnold shrugged, then waved as he rushed down the hallway, taking the back stairwell, and reaching the busy city streets with after school traffic. He let out a light sigh of relief, but he still kept his guard up. He always seemed to run into Helga as he turned corners.

But not today.

Arnold had made it to the boarding house without seeing Helga _once_. It scared him a little.

"Ah, Kimba, you've returned," Arnold's grandmother Gertie addressed him with every name but his own. She was eccentric and loved to dress up as different characters. She called him Kimba whenever she tried to swat a fly. Gertie treated it like a safari, acting as if she was hunting a lion or prey.

"Yes, Grandma."

"Sh, quiet, my son. You'll destroy the delicate balance of hiding," she raised the fly-swatter, "and hitting!" She smacked it down on the fly, but it flew away.

Arnold rolled his eyes and walked into the kitchen. "Hey, Short Man! How was your first day of school?" Arnold's grandpa,"Steely" Phil, asked as he opened the fridge.

"It was fine. I fell asleep in my last class though," Arnold rested his head on the kitchen table.

"Aw, well at least it wasn't your first!" Grandpa laughed.

"Yeah, but it was strange, too."

"How so?" Grandpa continued to raid the fridge, muttering things to himself about the food.

"I didn't see Helga at all today."

"You mean your mean little girlfriend with the one eyebrow?"

Arnold thought to himself, _I'm pretty sure she lost the unibrow. _"She's not my girlfriend, Grandpa."

"Not _yet_, Short Man! Do you not remember the story I told you about my girl bully?"

"Of course I do, Grandpa." Back in fourth grade, Arnold had asked Phil for advice about his girl trouble. Phil told him about his bully, who turned out to be Gertie. Only Arnold, dense as he was, still didn't know.

"Well, good. Remember that and think things over in that little mind of yours. It'll all make sense."

"Whatever you say, Grandpa," Arnold replied as he headed to his room. Arnold didn't give the old story another thought.

His room hadn't changed much since fourth grade, besides a new comforter, a small TV and a new computer. Arnold glanced at the school photos hanging on his wall as he turned on the radio to MJAZZ, his favorite station.

As the sweet jazz melodies echoed on the walls, Arnold realized he had changed a lot since fourth grade, physically and mentally. He grew to just barely reaching six feet at five foot ten, but he still hadn't outgrown his Grandpa's nickname.

Now that Arnold was in high school, he didn't see all of the students from his elementary days. Harold, the overweight bully, along with Stinky, the tall, skinny country bumpkin, and Sid, the string haired, green hat wearing misbehaver, all went to Franklin High. From what Arnold could remember from George Washington High's college orientation, he saw many of his old classmates that had disappeared for middle school. Rhonda, Nadine, Eugene, Curly (going by Thaddeus now), Lila, Sheena, Lorenzo, Iggy, Brainy, and a few other assorted students all attended GW with Arnold, Gerald, Phoebe and Helga.

Arnold couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. He should've seen her. He tried to think. . . Could he have seen her today? He pictured the flashing of faces - all upper and lower-classmen. No one he recognized. And he would know that girl's scowl anywhere.

_Don't do it, _his mind screamed as his hand reached for his bedside telephone. He was surprised that he knew Hegla's cell phone number by heart, but Arnold figured that after so many years of calling to apologize for something or trying to get homework help, he must've remembered it.

_Ring. . . ring. . . ring. . . _"Hello?" a tired voice asked.

"Hi, this is Arnold, I was wondering if Helga was there?"

"Oh, yeah, great, okay, hold on," the woman spoke in a soft, tired tone. Arnold suddenly recalled that Hegla called her mother Miram.

Arnold waited, until he heard a scream, a few curses, then he heard Helga pick up the cell phone. "What?" she asked, anger in her voice.

"Hey, Helga, it's Arnold."

"Arnold? What do you want?"

"I was just wondering if you were okay? I didn't see you at school today," he twirled the phone's cord around his finger as he listened to Helga pause momentarily.

"Yeah, Football Head, I'm fine." Her voice sounded soft and gentle, until she snapped, "Why do you care?"

"I was just worried something had happened. Gerald hadn't seen Phoebe either, so I wondered if something -"

"If you _must _know, Arnoldo, I had to go to the hospital last night."

"Oh, my God! Are you okay?" Arnold urgently jumped from his bed.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Relax, Mother Teresa. Big Bob gave me strawberries then rushed me to the hospital when my throat closed up. They won't release me until tonight. It's nothing."

"Are you sure? I could come down and bring you something if you need it."

"No, Football Head. I told you I'm fine. Phoebe already brought me my school work."

"You sure?"

Helga released a frustrated sigh, "Yes, Arnold. I'm fine. Goodbye."

_Click _and she was gone.

Arnold hung up the phone then collapsed back into bed. He stared up at the Hillwood City sky. Beautifully crisp blues complimented with fluffily white clouds. He loved his ceiling, the giant, open sunroof always helped him feel more connected to the sky.

He sighed and rolled over to his side. He stared at his small blue baseball cap that hung on a small hook on his bookshelf. He stopped wearing the cap when he reached high school. He then brought his eyes to the light pink silk ribbon.

It had been Helga's bow for as long as he could remember. One day in middle school she had been running and it fell off. Arnold wasn't even sure she noticed. He picked it up, but could never find the courage to give it back to her. He was sure she felt incomplete, just like he had when he lost his hat. But Helga scared him.

Arnold cautiously took it out of the alcove and held it close to his chest. The silk seemed to melt onto his skin. _Helga G. Pataki. . . what the heck did you do to me?_

A quiet voice in the back of his mind responded, _She loved you._

Helga felt a happy sigh escape her lips as she dropped her head against the hospital pillow. _He missed me!_

Phoebe returned to the room, smiling brightly at Helga's smile. "I take it the phone call went well? Who was it?"

Helga simply continued to smile at her friend.

"Oh, my gosh! He called you?" Phoebe knew about Helga's obsession with Arnold. She found it to be a little intense at times, but Helga was taming it. Phoebe had actually become rather close with Arnold this summer because she hung out with Gerald often, since Helga was gone.

"Yeah. He said he was worried that he didn't see me today. Probably just because there was no one to pick on him," she laughed.

"You could try being nice," Phoebe offered helpfully.

"I probably should, you know since it's been like forever. But that's just not me. They don't call me Helga G. Pataki for nothing," she laughed.

**H-A!-H-A!**

Helga couldn't believe it. She was late for her first day school, even though it was everyone's second. Miram had simply handed her two dollars as she walked out the door. Big Bob was too busy going to work to drive Helga, or give her the car, so she had to walk.

As she walked past a fenced in lot, she felt her new white shirt catch on a link. She tried to unhook it, but it wouldn't budge. So she pulled. And it ripped off the bottom, exposing her midriff. _Great,_ she thought as she continued walking. Her anger was bottling up.

When she finally reached the school, she was ready to let it all go until. . .

"Oh, shit, I'm los-_umph!" _Helga fell into someone. She felt her hip and elbow dig into his stomach and now she was laying on top of him. She kept her eyes shut for fear of seeing _him. _She knew who it was too - a familiar mix of shampoo and sudden tangy whiff of AXE invaded her nostrils.

"Sorry," a familiar voice said.

She skipped saying his name and went straight to her typical angry response. "Watch where you're going!" she barked.

"I said I was sorry!" the voice replied again. She finally opened her eyes. "Helga?"

"Arnold?" Helga tried to slow her racing heart down, but it wouldn't stop. She hoped that Arnold couldn't feel it.

Arnold stared at her, confused and unbelieving. She looked so different than the last time he saw her. No one had seen Helga at school yet. She had been off in Alaska to visit her sister, forced against her will, for three months.

Her hair was the same sunshine blond, but instead of keeping it pulled back, it fell down to her shoulders, curling at the ends. It framed her face, and brought onlookers attention to her blue eyes. Those big sapphire blue eyes, so light and deep that Arnold found it hard to look at them. _If I stare at them any longer, I'll drown in them, _he thought.

And those three months in Alaska were good to her. She looked - _did he dare think it?_ - beautiful. Arnold was right about losing her unibrow, but he never would've predicted this. His cheeks flushed as he looked at her.

Helga had grown a few more inches and he could feel her newly developed hip bones poking out of her ripped jeans and into his side. Her skin was tanned and very soft at the touch. Along with hips, Arnold knew she developed a chest. He didn't dare look, though, for Helga would smack him across the face. He smirked as he noticed her pink short-sleeved hoodie covering her ripped white tank top. Her well defined abs, developed from playing baseball, were exposed and pressed against Arnold. More heat rushed to his cheeks.

Helga couldn't help but stare at Arnold. He had grown up this summer. Taller, tanner, more fit than before. She figured it was true what they say, that the summer before junior year everyone completely changes. She knew she had. Helga kept her eyes glued to his. They eyes were still the same, those beautiful emerald pools she could get lost in. . .

"Could you please get off me?" Arnold asked politely. "Your elbows are killing me."

Helga didn't say anything, she simply stood up, but in the process she dug her elbow into his side again. Arnold knew he should've seen it coming. He jumped to his feet and began gathering her spilled books. Arnold's eyes focused on the little pink journal that had fallen across the hallway.

Arnold walked over and picked it up, but Helga ran after him. She couldn't believe it fell out of her bag. And she _still _couldn't believe how tall Arnold had gotten. "Give it, Arnoldo!" She reached for it, but couldn't grab it. Arnold held it above his head.

"Still writing poetry, I see."

"What? I don't write poetry."

"Oh, please, Helga. That may have worked in fourth grade. But I know you wrote all those poems about me in a little pink book like this one."

Helga brought her eyes to the floor, embarrassed. "How did you know? I ripped out the page with my name on it," she whispered.

Arnold didn't want to say it. Helga knew what he meant. _FTi _passed through the air.

"Here," Arnold handed her the book.

"Oh, thanks," she replied, sarcasm. She started to walk away, and she rammed into Arnold's shoulder so hard, he spun around to watch her walk away. _What's come over me? _Arnold shook his head and picked up his backpack. _It's Helga. Helga G. Pataki._

Helga felt his eyes glued to her back. She felt them piercing and heating her skin.

The homeroom bell rang and students flooded the hallway. She was just a blonde in a crowd of dozens, now.

"Dude, who was that?" Gerald had seen the incident, but not the girl's face.

"That's Helga."

Gerald's eyes tripled in size. "Helga Pataki?"

Arnold could only nod.

"Hi, Miss Pataki and welcome to junior year," Mrs. Merriweather smiled as Helga entered her classroom. Helga let out a sigh of relief as she realized it was English class.

Helga simply nodded and found herself collapsing in the desk against the back wall. She recognized a few students from elementary, but the rest looked unfamiliar.

"Okay, class. It's Journal Writing Time!" Mrs. Merriweather smiled, only to reveal bright red lipstick on her teeth. Everyone groaned. It was a little crazy, Helga had to admit. These students were sixteen, seventeen years old. Who wanted to write in a journal? "You have fifteen minutes. Don't forget, I want to collect your journals at the end." She returned to her seat and began scribbling across her notebook and twirling a piece of her jet black hair.

Helga let out a deep breath and pulled out her composition notebook. _Journal, _she thought as her shaking hand dated the page, _help me bare my soul and never tell anyone._

Helga's hands, Ol' Betsy and the Five Avengers, had a mind of their own when she wrote. They went faster than her mind, constantly spewing poetry and deep emotions that she wish she could forget. Of course, she still cared about Arnold. She couldn't help it. He was like her drug, but she had learned to tame down her emotions. She wasn't as insane as she used to be. No more shrines or steak outs in his home. It was just the poetry, now.

She let out a second deep breath and glanced at the clock. Only a minute had passed and everyone else seemed enamored with their own writings.

_This morning was no surprise. My parents were still themselves, Mrs. Drunk and Mr. Abrasive. But _he_ changed this summer. Oh, my love is no longer a child. And I had a chance to show him that I had changed too, but instead what do I do? I yell at him like I always have._

_I could see the way he looked at me. He didn't believe it was actually me. He looked scared. Am I really that repelling still, after all this time? After all of the times I had helped him? Or maybe he had forgotten about me. Out of sight, out of mind. I was gone for three months._

_But that couldn't be true! He called me last night. . ._

_Oh, what's the point in trying to fuel my foolish fantasies? He doesn't care about me. We're just friends, if I could call him that. Acquaintances._

_And that's all we'll ever be._

Helga found herself craving her days when passion was all she could bare. Back in fourth grade before the FTi Incident. Before she confessed her undying love for him.

"Okay, class, time is up. Now hand in your journals and we can start class." Helga couldn't focus after that. She did what she always did: day dreamed about Arnold.

The bell brought her out of her state of imagination, and she quickly gathered her books and fled the classroom.

She couldn't help but notice Arnold entering the class after her. _I wonder what he'll write about? _she thought as Phoebe joined her for their walk to health class.


	2. Family Matters

**Love Is Like A Baseball Bat**

_Chapter Two - Family Matters_

The class groaned as they each took out their journals and began to write. Arnold didn't mind it too much, he figured it was better than a boring lesson.

_I still can't sleep. Grandma keeps me up with songs and stories and costumes and holidays. Sometimes I wish she was normal. . . but if she was normal, she wouldn't be my grandmother._

_Writing of normal,_ Arnold internally laughed at his very stupid joke, _Helga and I crashed into each other again. For the millionth time. But it was nice to see her, I guess. She had been gone for three months and a day. I was surprised to learn I was so worried about her yesterday. I mean, I worry about everyone, but she's the only one who doesn't care. I guess that's why I care so much. Because she doesn't._

His eyes re-read the next words over and over again. Did he actually just write _that_?Since when did he think that? He quickly ran his pen across the words, crossing out the sentences.

What had come over him? Arnold held his throbbing head. He must've fallen harder than he thought. He glanced up to see everyone else still writing, but he could only focus on the crossed out paragraphs: _Despite what everyone thinks, Helga's actually really nice. She always does the right thing, even if I have to encourage her, which I don't totally hate. I actually really like it. It's nice to be the one to see her behave and show her true colors._

_I'm just glad she stopped most of the immature bullying (but the nicknames stuck for some reason) and she. . .I don't know, she's grown up. She changed a lot. Normally, when we run into each other, she would've yelled at me more or pushed me down again or laughed or something._

_But when she opened her eyes today, and I really looked at her, I saw something I'd never seen before. Something in her eyes, like she was happy to be lying on the floor with me. She has really pretty eyes, actually. If you actually looked at Helga, without letting her attitude or her past cloud your judgement, you'd think Helga was absolutely stunning. I do. Sometimes._

Arnold pressed his head to his desk, afraid to write any more. These ideas were totally unlike him. Where did this idea come from? And why couldn't he stop thinking about _Helga G. Pataki_?

Helga's heart thudded as she realized Arnold was in her next class, biology. Instead of desks, there were solid black tables that sat four students, covered with test tubes and other gadgets Helga didn't have the slightest interest in. She sat with her back to the white board. Gerald snuck up behind Phoebe and kissed her on the cheek. Helga rolled her eyes as she turned around to give the couple a second alone before the bell rang.

Arnold came in a few seconds later and sat across from Gerald, who sat beside Phoebe, who was sitting across from Helga. Simply put, Helga was next to Arnold. _Oh, thank you Phoebe for dating Gerald! _Helga screamed in her mind as she turned around to watch the couple smile at each other.

"Whoever you are sitting next to is now your lab partner for the rest of the year," their teacher smiled. "And our first lab will happen tomorrow. It will be pretty extensive, but I think you all can handle it. You're juniors, after all."

Helga almost fainted. _Arnold and I working together. . . for the rest of the year! _she held in her urge to release a girly squeal.

Arnold's mind was on anything but biology at the moment. He still couldn't stop thinking about his English journal. He looked up, only to realize Helga was actually smiling at him. When she realized he was looking back at her, she put her scowl back on and turned to face the board.

"The experiment is explained all on this," their teacher handed out a small packet to each table. "I want you to work on the pre-questions tonight and answer them as completely as possible, please. We're studying genetics fist."

Arnold smiled to himself, still thinking about his journal entry. Helga did look happy for a few seconds. But the moment passed.

"Helga? Do you want to do the questions together tonight?" Arnold smiled as Helga looked up from her notebook.

_He wants to come over to my house tonight! _"Uh. . .sure, Arnold. We can do them at my place, it should be quiet tonight." _I hope, _she thought.

Arnold laughed, "Good, because my grandma's been on this singing kick and -"

"Alright, now let's get started!" Their teacher was too enthusiastic for third period.

**H-A!-H-A!**

"I have to warn you, nothing's changed in the past five years or whatever," Helga shrugged as she kicked open her front door. Miram was passed out on the couch and Bob was still at work. Helga knew Arnold was going to try to say something to her mother,"Don't even bother, Arnold. Come on, upstairs."

Arnold realized her tone wasn't as demanding as it usually was. It was softer, almost coming as a suggestion. He was surprised to see that Helga seemed so defeated, in her own home of all places.

"Well, let's get this over with," she sighed as she dropped down on her bed, backpack at her side.

Arnold was uncomfortable. He always seemed to be whenever he was in Helga's room. He didn't know why. "Where should I sit?"

"You can sit on my bed, Football Head. It won't bite. I, on the other hand, can't make any promises," she smirked as she focused on her lab.

Arnold sat down, laughing. For now, the thought of FTi and his journal were far from his mind. He was just focused on biology. "Question one: What is a Punnett Square?"

"No idea," Helga answered.

"Come on, open your book. It's gotta be in there."

"Why can't you?" _And the tone is back, _Arnold thought.

"I didn't bring mine."

"Oh, what a great excuse," she teased as she picked her heavy text book out of her backpack. In the process, her pink notebook fell to the floor. _Crap, _she thought as Arnold's eyes went to the floor, _I really should put that in another pocket!_

Helga threw herself from her bed, only to find herself lying on top of Arnold. The two had dove for the notebook at the same time. Why Arnold wanted it was beyond Helga. _Unless. . ._Helga smiled as Arnold grabbed the book and sat up, lower back still on the floor and elbows holding him up.

The two were inches from each other. Their whole bodies were touching, her upper body resting on his, but their faces were close. He could feel her warm breath on his cheek. Her eyes shined again. "Can I have my book back?"

"Maybe," Arnold pushed Helga up and now the two were holding onto each other. Helga was shocked at his display of strength. Arnold never used force.

The two stared at each other in silence, still relying on each other to stand up. Their feet were fine and planted firmly on the ground, but Arnold was finding it hard to stand. The silence wasn't uncomfortable, either, it was just quiet.

Helga was enjoying just standing there, letting Arnold wrap one arm around her waist while the other held onto her arm. Her stomach was in knots as she looked at him. He was looking at her with half-lidded eyes, a look she could _never _resist. "We should probably get back to work," she surprised herself by returning to her bed.

Arnold slowly sat back down, handing her the poetry book in the process. _What the heck was that? _he wondered as Helga looked up the definition of a Punnett Square. _Did we just have a moment?_

The two worked in silence, only asking questions from the biology sheet. The worked as a team, taking turns to look up definitions and writing down the answer.

Suddenly, the front door slammed. The walls shook and Helga jumped off the bed. "Arnold, you should go. Now!"

"What's wrong?"

"Bob's not in a good mood," Helga quickly opened her door, only to hear Bob screaming profanities. She shut it again. "You need to leave."

"How? If he's down there -"

"The window!" She locked her bedroom door and opened the window. A branch was just close enough that Arnold could reach it with minimal effort.

"OLGA! OLGA! GET YOUR ASS DOWN HERE, NOW!" Bob's voice echoed against the walls.

"Arnold, go. I'll see you tomorrow."

Arnold grabbed his bags and was halfway out the window before stopping himself. What was he doing? One of his friends was in trouble. Granted, they weren't _close _friends, but Helga was still a friend. He turned around and grabbed onto her arm. "I won't leave until I know you're okay."

"OLGA! WHAT DID I SAY?"

Helga rolled her eyes, "Wait here."

Arnold pressed his ear to the door after she left. He heard Helga first, "WHAT BOB?"

"Bring me my dinner!"

"I'm not your wife! Make her cook!"

"You're my daughter, missy! You do what I say!"

"I'm not your slave!" Helga barked back. Arnold could almost see the rage in her face, judging by the tone of voice.

"You will do what I say! You live under my house!"

"Shut your pie hole, Bob! I don't want to live in this house! You don't care about me!"

"MAKE ME MY DINNER OR GET OUT!"

The yelling stopped. Arnold stepped back from the door. He was scared about what was going to happen. With Helga, it could be unpredictable. She could show up injured, or crying, or still angry.

The door flew open and Helga slammed it shut. Her whole room began to shake as she glared at the floor. "You're still here?"

"I told you I wouldn't leave until I knew you were okay," he sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. Helga looked hurt.

"Just leave, Arnold!" Helga's voice was louder and angrier than before. She turned her head away quickly, trying to hide the fact that she was crying. Arnold felt twisted, like his heart was being broken and his stomach was tightening. He hated seeing anyone cry, but seeing _Helga _cry was like. . . something he didn't expect to care so much about.

"Helga," Arnold's voice was soft and gentle. She glared at him, one tear rolling down her left cheek. Arnold carefully stepped forwards and hesitantly wiped the tear off, "I'm sorry."

She stepped back, "Why do you care? It's not your fault my dad's an asshole."

"Are you okay?"

Helga rolled her eyes as she sat on her bed. She was crying! Of course she was fine. . . Not! "Do I look okay?" she barked.

"I. . . I. . . "

"Arnold, I really think you should go."

"Please, stop crying," Arnold begged as he sat beside her. He pulled her into him and she still cried.

Helga, the normally strong, powerful, angry bully, was too tired from the constant fights with her parents. They fought for hours on end some nights. If Miram was awake, she'd yell at Bob, who then would yell at Helga, calling her "Olga" and demanding she do something. She never did anything for him. And why should she? He didn't even know her name!

Helga had finally reached the breaking point. This had been happening since sixth grade, and she couldn't take it anymore. So she cried. _And to Arnold, _she thought sadly as she shut her eyes and tried to force herself to stop.

Arnold, who always comforted everyone, simply rubbed Helga's back, whispering soothing things. He usually didn't truly mean what he said to make the person feel better. He meant for a moment, maybe, but no one cared if he meant it or not. He was Arnold, the "go to" guy, the advice guy. He didn't mind it much, but it was moments like now, when people he'd never expect come to him, that he didn't know how to act. His biggest fear was that he didn't know if she'd hit him or not.

Helga stopped crying and sat herself up, off of Arnold's shoulder. She flashed a pathetic, tired smile. "I'm okay," she lied. Luckily, she was a good liar.

"Are you sure?" Arnold asked, green eyes staring at her, filled with so much concern. Helga tried to keep her mind off of him at the moment.

"Yeah, really. Thanks, Arnold. I'll see you tomorrow."

Arnold hugged her quickly before standing and scaling down her tree. As soon as he was down and out of sight, Helga collapsed against her bed and hugged her pillow. _He hugged me! He comforted me! Oh, my love is so sweet! _She smiled as she quickly crossed the hall and stepped into a shower. The scent of Arnold - his shampoo, AXE, and bubble gum - lingered with Helga as she went to bed that night.

Arnold found his palm pressed against his phone while the other held Helga's silk ribbon. It was only ten p.m., and Arnold wanted to be sure that Helga was okay. He hadn't told anyone , even though Gerald had asked, about what happened today. Arnold knew Helga would hate it if everyone knew she cried over fighting with her parents.

Arnold slowly brought his hand off the phone and rested it on his bed. He still toyed with the silk ribbon, finally falling asleep at three a.m. to the sound's of his grandmother's trumpet. . .

_"Where did you get this?" an innocent three year old held the fabric between her fingers, smiling._

_Arnold didn't know what he was doing, where he was, or why he didn't recognize this little girl. He assumed it was Helga. Who else would wear a pink bow?_

_"I found it one day, you lost it when you were running," he replied, bending down to her height._

_The girl tugged on the bow on her head, "But I didn't lose it."_

_"You will," he replied quietly. "And I just wanted to be sure you had it, so you can keep it safe, okay?"_

_The girl nodded before walking away, pink ribbon in hand, "Thanks Arnold."_

_He smiled brightly as she disappeared._

_"Arnold?" Arnold looked up to see sixteen year old Helga, smiling. "You. . . you kept my bow?"_

_"I always felt bad about never giving it back," he admitted._

_"I can't believe you kept my bow. I thought I just threw it away. . . I loved this bow. Do you know why?"_

_Suddenly, rain poured from the sky and Arnold quickly ran towards the familiar building. Helga had disappeared. Arnold found himself watching a younger version of himself standing in the rain, beside the Packard, smiling at three year old Helga._

_"I like your bow," he said. So, that's why she wore it. Because I said I liked it. Is that why she lov-_

Arnold's eyes flew open as he alarmed blared, "Hey Arnold! Hey Arnold! Hey-", he unplugged it and made his way towards his bathroom.

_That was a weird dream, _Arnold rubbed his temples. Lack of sleep, crazy dreams, and his grandmother still playing instruments; this first week back to school was insane, to put it lightly. And it was only the third day! Arnold groaned, remembering he had baseball practice this afternoon. Their coach wanted to see "just how bad the team was".

Wednesday carried on as if it were never ending. It was hot, Arnold was tired, and he didn't want to bat today. He just wanted sleep.

"Go on, man, show everyone why you're the best," Gerald pushed his friend towards the plate.

The rest of the team had already hit a few balls. An automatic pitcher was set up to pitch the ball at ninety miles an hour, a real easy pitch for high school boys.

Arnold swung, waiting to hear the familiar _crack _as the ball went flying towards left field. Their coach smiled, "Good job Arnold."

Coach Diedrek was a sixty-something professional baseball coach. He coached the major leagues for a while, but retired. This was his first year as a high school baseball coach. Talk about going down on the career ladder.

Diedrek was still in shape for an older guy, always wearing baseball pants, a t-shirt and a baseball cap. He owned one for every team in the Major Leagues. Diedrek saw the potential of his new high school team, and knew how to get them motivated. But he wouldn't start really coaching until their season started in the fall. They'd have regular weekly practices, and weekend games against each other, to stay in shape for the season. He wanted Hillwood to actually win a game this year.

"Thanks," Arnold stepped off the plate.

"Okay, guys, can any of you pitch?" No one answered. The coach sighed, "I was afraid of that. Alex!"

The assistant coach walked towards the pitcher's mound. "Yeah, Coach?"

"I want you to find a pitcher. Search the school in your free time. There has to be someone halfway decent!"

"Yes, Sir," Alex replied.

"Great, now go hit the showers boys!" Diedrek pulled Alex off to the side, "Hang out here. Someone has to come around. I'll take _anyone _who can pitch above ninety. I can drill him hard and long during this off season. I just want a pitcher!"

"I'll find you the best one, Sir," Alex reassured his boss.


	3. Baseball, Bruises and Beginnings

**Love Is Like A Baseball Bat**

_Chapter Three - Baseball, Bruises and Beginnings_

It was Friday. It had been a long, stressful week back at school, and Helga was only there for four days. Arnold and Helga didn't talk about what happened at her house on Tuesday night. And even if he tried to bring it up, she wouldn't talk to him about it. She'd ignore him and blow him off, but luckily Arnold was smart enough not to bring it up.

Helga smirked as she stood on the mound. It was after school and she didn't want to go home. She stole some baseballs from the gym equipment room and wanted to throw a few in before leaving.

She found her body naturally bending and twisting as she brought her leg up, arm back and threw the ball. She was pleased with herself as the ball flew right over the plate.

She heard a low whistle and turned around to see a boy holding a radar gun. "89 miles per hour without even trying. I'm impressed."

"Who are you?"

"I'm the new assistant baseball coach. I'm Alex."

"Shouldn't you be in school? You're just a kid!" Helga tossed the ball between her hands, laughing.

"I'm nineteen. I go to classes during the day and night and have just enough time to come by and teach students how to play baseball." He raised his cap off his head and smiled. Helga was surprised that she found him attractive. He had curly chestnut hair and a bright, sunny smile. His eyes were a green similar to Arnold's, only darker.

"I know how to play baseball. I've been playing it since I was little." She turned around and was about to step into her throw, but she heard him say, "Alright, Princess."

"_Excuse me?" _Helga clenched her fist around the ball before throwing it at him with all the anger she could manage. Alex held the radar gun up and ducked out of the way.

"99 miles an hour. _That's _what I wanted," Alex smirked.

She spat, "You jerk!"

"Hey, if getting you angry is what it takes to get you to throw a good ball, then I think this season will be an interesting one."

"You. . . you want me on the team?"

"I've seen the guys practice and we don't have a decent pitcher. Will you come by tomorrow at noon for our weekly meeting? We can show the team what you've got." She thought for a moment. Alex smiled, "I'm prepared to beg, cry and grovel."

Even though Helga did love a good show, she shrugged, "Sure, why not? I'll give it a shot."

"Great, see you tomorrow. Here. Noon."

Helga rolled her eyes as he walked away. She was still upset about his princess remark. "Who-" she threw a ball, "-does-" another tossed, "-he think-", the balls echoed on the net, "-he is? I'm not a freaking princess like Rhonda!"

Once she ran out of steam, and balls, she decided to go home and rest up. She had to be prepared to show all of the boys a thing or two about playing baseball. She made it home just in time to skip dinner because Miram was passed out on the couch.

_Ring. . . rin- _"Hey, Pheebs."

Phoebe released a sigh of relief, "Helga, are you okay? I didn't hear from you after school!"

"Yeah, I went to get in a few pitches before I came home. A coach saw me and wants me to go to the school's team meeting tomorrow." Helga collapsed on her bed and smiled at her ceiling.

"Oh my god, that's so exciting! I know Gerald's on the team, and Arnold too, of course, but I don't know anyone else."

Helga tried to steady her breathing, thinking about Arnold being on the same team as her was enough to stop her heart. "I don't either."

"Relax, Helga, you'll do fine tomorrow," Phoebe reassured her friend. "Oh, I've got to go. Gerald's here."

"Don't tell him I'll be there tomorrow. I want to surprise the team."

"Mumming," Phoebe teased before she said goodbye and hung up the phone.

**H-A!-H-A!**

"Alright, wimps, listen up," Alex announced playfully as the boys lined up outside the dug out. Normally, Alex would have classes on Saturday, but he figured the baseball team was more important than school.

There were fifteen guys on the team: Arnold, Gerald, Lorenzo, Iggy and Thaddues were the juniors, Wolfgang, Edmund, Ludwig, and Torvald (who had gone up a few grades, but still got held back a few times), were the seniors, and the six others were sophomores.

Alex was standing on the mound, smiling broadly, "I finally found our pitcher."

The boys cheered. "Who is he?" a few asked.

Alex laughed and stepped aside, only to reveal Helga standing behind him with her hair pulled under her cap. She was wearing the gray and blue Hillwood baseball uniform. To the guys she just looked like a weak, little freshman boy. She hid her face as she stretched quickly. Alex held up the radar gun and Helga pitched the ball as fast as she could.

"101," Alex announced.

"Woah, dude, that was awesome!" The guys all ran over the their new pitcher.

"I know," Helga smiled and flipped her cap off.

The boys stopped dead in their tracks. Arnold and Gerald exchanged worried glances.

"Coach, is this a joke?" Wolfgang, the team captain, stepped forwards.

Alex crossed his arms over his chest and stood beside Helga, "I don't see any of you throwing half as decent as she does. She is incredible and just who we need if we want to have a chance to win a game this year. I've checked the school records. You guys haven't won a game in five years."

"That's not our fault!" Lorenzo stepped forwards.

"No, but we can change everything this year. I've already checked, and there's no rules against it since we don't have a girl's softball team. So, guys, be nice. I'm going to get all of the bats."

"Coach-" a few more players protested, but Alex was already gone.

"I can't believe _Helga _is our new pitcher," Gerald muttered to Arnold. Arnold nodded in agreement. He was just as stunned as everyone else.

"Helga! You better not mess this year up for us!" Wolfgang threatened as he stepped into Helga's personal space.

"Someone step up to the plate," Helga barked, paying no attention to Wolfgang's threat. "Football Head! Get to the plate!"

Arnold ran to home plate, afraid of the tone in Helga's voice. She could still send chills up his spine. The boys all stepped back off the field and waited. Arnold quickly flung the bat back and forth, stretching his arms.

"Hurry up, Arnoldo!"

Arnold hovered the bat over the plate, cheeks burning. He could hear the boy's snickering. He listened to the boys making whipping sounds. "Go, Helga!"

Helga stepped back, wound up her arm, and threw the ball forwards. Arnold felt his hands burn as the bat swung quickly through the air. He was holding onto the bat too hard.

He kept his eyes open, focused on Helga the entire time. Her eyes were wide and Arnold heard everyone gasp. His hands began to shake as he followed through with the swing. He dropped the bat and remained frozen.

_He missed the ball._

Arnold heard it make contact with the net behind him, _woosh._

"Holy shit!" Wolfgang yelled. "She just struck out our best hitter!"

"Now, who has a problem with me being on the team?" Helga smirked and turned to face her teammates. Everyone shook their heads no.

"Great. So let's get one thing straight, _boys_," Helga smirked as she walked up and down the line, staring at each one of the guys, "if anyone has a problem with me, they're going to have to suck it up and deal with it. Alex will happily kick you off the team if you say anything about me. And I'll enjoying beating you up." Arnold noticed that Helga had all the power now, and she knew it.

The boys all took turns swinging to Helga's hits, and the practice went on until five thirty. Everyone was exhausted and tired of the constant yelling from Alex and Hegla. _And I used to think Wolfgang was bad, _Arnold thought bitterly as he picked up some balls in the outfield.

"Helga, you can go. I'm going to talk to the boys," Alex smiled as Helga picked up her bag and walked home. "Boys, I'm disappointed in you. You just got your asses handed to you by a girl who weighs like a hundred pounds. What is wrong with you?" Everyone looked away, avoiding eye contact as they were lectured. "Now, I'm not only taking Helga because she's a great player, but because she could actually emotionally scar other teams."

"What?" Gerald asked.

"Think about it, boys. The guys show up thinking that it's just a bunch of little boys who they can beat. But when Helga steps up to the plate, throws the first strike out, and blows everyone away. . . "

"They'll be completely crushed by the fact she's a girl!" Wolfgang finished.

"Exactly."

Arnold didn't like this. They were just going to use Helga. Of course, they _needed _her, but something didn't feel right about using her gender against the other team.

"Oh, yeah, one more thing," Alex stopped the boys. "Helga is part of this team now. She's your friend, despite the fact she says she doesn't want to be close with you. I want you guys to watch her. And I mean _watch her. _Don't let guys talk to her. We do not want her distracted with some idiotic boyfriend, okay?" The guys agreed with few sarcastic responses as they went to the locker room.

A knot settled in Arnold's stomach, "This isn't good, Gerald."

"I know, the Demon herself is going to be spending every afternoon and weekend with us until summer," Gerald slammed his head into his gym locker.

Arnold laughed, but shook his head,"No, I mean about the fact Alex is going to use her."

"I'm sure she knows, Arnold. And if she doesn't, she'll figure it out. You don't have to worry about her, okay? Just keep her out of your mind and enjoy our last day of freedom from her." Gerald laughed as he walked away.

Arnold couldn't stop thinking about Helga. Her piercing blue eyes as she glared at each of the players. Her hair as it fell freely around her face, covering the smirk she wore, replacing her typical scowl. She was actually enjoying herself at practice, Arnold noticed.

Arnold's mind wandered down her body, noticing her hips as she twisted with each pitch. Her arms were strong, her legs even stronger. She could throw with incredible speed. . . _but can she bat? _Arnold wondered.

Once again, Arnold found himself fighting himself to _not _call Helga. He was the best batter on the team, and she was the best pitcher. . . the _only _pitcher. Maybe they could teach each other something?

_No way! Working with Helga always leads to trouble, _his mind thought as his palm rested on the phone. Why was he so indecisive when it came to Helga?

**H-A!-H-A!**

"Why did I agree to this?" Helga yawned as she stood over home plate. It was eight a.m. on Sunday. After much fighting on the phone last night, Arnold had gotten Helga to agree to come practice her hitting.

Arnold laughed, "I don't know. Maybe because you want to be the best player on the team and take my title as Best Hitter."

"I stripped you of your title yesterday, Football Head, when you missed my pitch!"

Arnold started up the automatic pitcher, "Let's see what you've got." Arnold watched Helga's stance. It was pretty good. Her feet were shoulder's length apart, her knees were bent, her back was straightened, butt was out, and her elbows were tucked in. Arnold dropped the ball in, and watched Helga swing. _So, that's her problem, _he noticed she bent her body the same way she did when she pitched. She threw her hips forwards instead of twisting, and she didn't follow the swing through.

Helga knew she did something wrong. She could tell from the way Arnold watched her. "What did I do wrong, Football Head?" She was sure to make her tone annoyed.

"It's your hips," he stepped towards her. Helga felt her stomach tighten as his hands rested on her side. "You're throwing them, not twisting," he turned Helga side to side. _Oh, my God. . .he's touching me! _Helga could only manage a weak nod. She swore he could hear her heart beat.

Arnold's cheeks burned as he kept his hands on her hips. He never touched a girl like this before, even if he was doing it to show her the proper technique.

"That's it?" she managed to squeak out.

"No, you forgot to follow through on your swing. See? Like this," Arnold wrapped his arms around Helga and held the bat. He gently forced Helga's arms to swing through all the way across to reach her left shoulder. Helga's cheeks turned red. Their bodies were pressed tight against each other. Helga could feel Arnold's muscles contract as he followed through. Arnold was surprised that Helga wasn't yelling, or telling him to back off. She was actually listening to him.

"So. . .like this?"

Arnold stepped back and watched Helga swing perfectly.

"Awesome, you got it! You're really good, Helga."

She laughed and turned around, facing Arnold, "I know, that's why I'm on the team!"

The two were close again, like they had been in Helga's room earlier this week. They were just inches from each other. Arnold didn't know why he was just so comfortable being close with her. He was surprised, once again, that Helga wasn't telling him to back off. _Helga's actually being nice, _he thought, _maybe she has changed._

"Ahem," a deep voice called. The two turned to see Alex standing with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Hey, Alex," Helga smiled. Arnold took a big step back.

"That was a nice little practice you two had going on."

"Yeah, I asked Helga to come to teach her how to bat. If she could pitch, bat and be a great outfielder, she'd be unstoppable," Arnold laughed lightly. Alex wasn't amused.

"Arnold, when I told you Helga couldn't get distracted with guys, I meant the team too. Don't think I didn't see the way you were looking at each other."

Helga's eyes widened as she leaned against the bat for support. _What look? Arnold has a look towards me? _She knew she always looked towards him with some sort of love-sick expression on her face. She couldn't help it, but Arnold was dense, thank goodness.

"Coach, it's not like that," Arnold protested.

"No more practices, Arnold, unless the entire team is here. I don't want our best player distracted."

Helga rolled her eyes. "I'm _right here_, Alex. And if I want to practice, I'll practice with whoever I want. If you don't like it, you can just find yourself a new pitcher." Helga put her hands on her hips and glared at Alex. She still had the power over this entire team. "While you think of a clever response, _Coach, _I'll be leaving." Helga stormed off, her anger rising as she went over the conversation in her mind.

Arnold ran after her, _This is not good!_ "Helga! Helga! Wait!"

Helga was yelling to herself, "He said I couldn't date anyone? Who does he think he is, _my father? _Well, Bob wouldn't care, but still! Ugh! The nerve of that jerk! I can do whatever I want. I wouldn't get distracted with a guy! He's so annoying!"

Helga stopped walking at a hurried pace and rested against the side of a building. Arnold flew around the corner, still running.

"Helga!" he called out.

"Right here."

Arnold jumped but turned around. "Look, don't listen to Alex. . . he's just. . .we really need you on the team."

"I know. I wouldn't leave just because our coach is a jerk."

"Okay, good."

"He's just. . . ugh! Who does he think he is?"

"Alex is looking out for you, I guess."

"Great, just what I need. Someone to look after me," Helga rolled her eyes. "I'm not a little kid. I can take care of myself."

"I know," Arnold laughed. "Alex is just worried. With you on the team, we might actually have a chance to win. But you probably don't care what he thinks."

"I don't."

"Well, good, I guess. We still have months before the season starts. Don't let him get to you."

Helga nodded and began walking away, but Arnold grabbed her arm. "Let me drive you home."

"No, Arnold, it's okay. I'm a big girl. I can walk from here," she forced her arm out of his grip.

"Please, Helga? I feel bad about getting you in trouble with Alex."

Helga began walking away, "And your stuff is still at school." Helga rolled her eyes, but inside she felt her stomach knot even tighter than it already was.

The two walked back towards the school, talking about their biology lab and English assignment. Helga forced herself to keep the conversation light so she could avoid anything awkward, like talking about her poetry.

"Coach Diedrek is going to be hard to please," Arnold warned.

"Why?"

"He coached the Majors. This is his first year of retirement. None of us are really sure how he'll react to seeing you pitch, let alone the shape of our team. He's seen us a few times, but I have a feeling we've gotten worse with Alex coaching. But I'm sure Diedrek will be able to handle you," Arnold laughed.

"Let's hope he's not like Alex, who can't even respond to my threats."

"I'm sure Alex is intimidated by the fact there's a girl stronger than him."

"Well, half of the team should be too," Helga laughed as she knocked on the hood of the Packard. "This car still runs?"

"Yeah. My grandpa has kept it in amazing shape."

"Impressive." Helga switched on the radio, only to smile, "MJAZZ?"

"Yeah, it's the only channel that plays. Besides, jazz music is good."

"Whatever you say, Arnoldo."

The two settled into a silence as Dino Spumoni came on the radio. Helga could vaguely recall hearing the song before, "_Darling you left my heart, in pieces on the floor, so tell me why shouldn't I, break some things of yours?. . ."_

Arnold stopped the car when he saw Bob's car pull in front of the house. Helga watched as he slammed the car door, then slammed the font door, and began screaming. How her neighbors never called the police was beyond her. "Uh, thanks for the ride."

"Are you going to be okay?"

"Yeah, don't worry," she slammed the door and sighed as she walked into the war zone. Helga couldn't wait until Monday afternoon.

**H-A!-H-A!**

Coach Diedrek laughed in Helga's face, spitting. "_Her_?You want Helga Pataki to join the varsity baseball team?" Helga wiped her face and continued to scowl.

"Show him Helga!" Alex called her to center field.

"I'll make you eat your words, _Coach_," Helga stepped up to the pitcher's mound. She tried to focus her anger at Diedrek into her pitch. He stood behind her , holding up the radar gun.

"Whenever you're ready, sweetheart!"

Helga wound up and threw the ball. Diedrek smirked, "100 miles per hour. Congrats, Pataki, you've impressed me."

"Good," she put her hands on her hips.

"Now, let's start practice. Everyone, ten sets of sprints up and down the baseline. Go!"

Five thirty couldn't come fast enough. Hillwood was still in summer weather, temperature reaching almost a hundred. The boys were exhausted from their sprints, ten laps, batting practice, more sprints, outfielding and two more cool down laps.

"Oh good God!" Gerald collapsed against the fence, holding onto the chains as he regained his footing.

"I must have lost ten pounds from just sweat alone," Lorenzo fell on Gerald and the boys laughed.

"Thank God our important practices begin when it's cold," Iggy added.

"_Man_, Helga's still going," Wolfgang brought everyone's attention to Helga. She was throwing balls left and right to Diedrek over home plate.

"She must be dying," Edmund added.

"She's crazy!"

"But she's not stopping," Alex noticed. And the boys stood in awe as they watched Helga unleash a passionate fury onto each ball she threw. Each one made a louder sound against their coach's glove.

"I'll say it again," Wolfgang threw his baseball bag over his shoulder, "she's crazy."

Helga was drenched in her own sweat, soaked like she had just gone swimming. She wanted to take her hat off, but that put her at risk for getting sun burnt and unable to see.

"Alright, Pataki, throw one more then hit the showers," Diedrek quickly rose to stretch his knees, then returned to his crouching umpire position behind home.

Helga rolled her shoulders back then picked up the last ball. Helga pictured her father standing over the plate. _I hate you, Bob, _she thought bitterly. She surprised herself by releasing a loud yell as she threw the ball.

The team froze at her scream.

"Crazy!" Wolfgang said.

Diedrek stumbled backwards as he caught the ball. He was shocked to see how hard she threw it. He could definitely feel it in his aching fingers and palm. Helga adjusted her hat then picked up her bag and fled the field.

"Damn," Gerald muttered as Helga stormed past the boys. "Wonder what she was thinking about?"

Arnold sighed, "I'm pretty sure I know."

Arnold followed Helga as she walked to the far side of the gym, near the track, and to the girls locker room. He was going to try to talk about what happened Tuesday night.

"Damn it!" she yelled as she kicked her foot against the door. It was locked.

"Helga?"

"What?" she barked.

Arnold stepped back, but then walked even closer to her. "What was that yell all about?"

"Nothing, Football Head. Now move, I have to get home!" She pushed him up against the wall. Arnold wrapped both his hands around her wrist.

"Why? No one's going to miss you," he winced as he said that. It was so mean, and rude, and unlike him. But, sadly, it was the truth. Arnold knew Helga knew it.

"Oh, thanks for making me feel so much better, Arnold!" she screamed.

"Helga, look I'm sorry I said that, but you shouldn't-"

"I shouldn't what? Go to my own house and get yelled at by my blowhard father? I don't have a choice Arnold!"

"Don't go home. Spend the rest of the day with us. We're your team now. We were going to go get dinner."

"I have to go, Arnold."

"Helga, please? Come on, one night out with your team isn't going to kill you."

"Hanging with you, Wolfgang and the rest of those losers? Yeah, it could kill me. You could all bore me to death."

Arnold was relieved that Helga was back to her sarcastic self instead of her angry self. He let go of her wrist and stepped off the wall. "The guys are waiting, so we should get back. I'll take a quick shower then you can have the locker room to yourself, okay?"

Helga tried not to gag. "Ugh, the boy's locker room," she shuddered.

Arnold laughed. "It's not that bad."

Helga eyed him skeptically, "Whatever, but if I don't make it out alive, it's on your football shaped head."

"Alright, Helga."

"You know what Alex is doing, right?" Iggy asked Arnold as they walked from the parking lot into the pizza place.

"What?"

"He's trying to keep us focused on baseball by dangling Helga in front of us. I mean look at her. It's torture. He just wants to see how dedicated we are to the game, not hot girls. . ."

Arnold tried to force a laugh, but Gerald beat him to it, "Ig, it's Helga. _Helga. _The girl who's picked on us since day one."

"But look at her!" Iggy exclaimed. Lorzeno and Thad nodded. Even though Thad was hopelessly in love/still stalking Rhonda, he couldn't help but look at Helga.

The five turned their heads to see Helga standing a few feet back from the team, talking on her cell phone. Her blonde hair was dark since it was still wet. Helga's toned body was almost completely exposed in a low cut, pink wife beater and short jean shorts. Arnold had to admit she looked really good.

"Either she knows we all think she's hot and she has a cruel sense of humor or she really has _no idea_ we're all teenaged guys. Just look at her body!"

"Iggy! Dude, I don't want to vomit before eating," Gerald shut his eyes and walked away.

"Arnold?"

He brought his attention back to the guys, "What?"

"You were totally just staring at Helga!"

"No. Guys, look at her. She seems upset."

The boys looked again. Of course, no one but Arnold looked at her face.

Helga had called her house and left a message, saying that she was out with Phoebe. She called Phoebe and she agreed to cover for her if her parents called. _Like that's gonna happen, _Helga thought as he looked up from her phone to see her classmates staring at her.

"What?" she snapped.

The guys turned around and went into the pizza parlor.

"Where's the chick?" Wolfgang asked.

"My name is Helga. Call me 'chick' one more time, and we'll see how many teeth you have left," she threatened.

Wolfgang rolled his eyes. "Like I'm really scared of you."

"You should be!" Helga crossed her arms over her chest and sent him a death glare. Everyone was just glad Wolfgang finally had someone else to pick on.

"Hey, guys, we're a team now. Lets at least _try _to be friends," Arnold interjected. Helga rolled her eyes as she sat down next to the sophomores, who she still didn't know.

"So, when do we play a game?" Helga asked.

"We have a few winter games, just a little preview for the fans and other teams of how hard we've worked. Our fist one is the first Saturday in November. Our _real _season begins in spring," Wolfgang answered.

Helga tried to act interested in the conversation about the opposing teams, but all she could focus on was Arnold's knee touching hers. The tables were extremely cramped with all sixteen teenagers sitting together. She realized that most of the guys were holding smaller side conversations, so Helga began asking the sophomores their names, even if she didn't really care about them.

Arnold found it hard to concentrate on whatever Gerald was talking about. Something about a new movie, he wasn't sure. He didn't know why, but having Helga's knee touching his was all he could think about. He figured it was because of what Iggy had said about Helga. Yes, her body was _incredible, _but she was a person. She had feelings, even if most of the time they were angry, she did have a nice side. And she was beautiful, too. Her breathtaking blue eyes, her perfect blonde hair, her warm smile, her tempting lips. . .

"Arnold?"

"What?" Arnold turned towards Gerald.

"Dude, you were zoning out big time there. What the heck was on your mind?"

"Nothing. I'm just exhausted," Arnold half-lied. He was tired.

"Well, have some Yahoo soda, man. Wake up!"

**H-A!-H-A!**

"OLGA! Get down here! Now! I have something important to tell you!" Bob's voice faded as Helga stomped down the stairs. It was the fourth Saturday afternoon of the school year, it was now early October. Helga had spent a month playing baseball. She actually enjoyed baseball, and her teammates weren't so bad. They just took some warming up to. Wolfgang was actually nice to her, and sometimes the two would pick on the sophomores as they struggled through practices. Helga actually found herself spending more and more time with all of the guys, especially Arnold. And she didn't mind that one bit.

But Helga had to sneak in through her window to get to her room. She knew Bob had become suspicious about Helga's busy schedule. She couldn't tell her father she was on the baseball team. He would want to take her off the team and Helga loved it too much to quit.

"WHAT?" She screamed as she entered the kitchen.

"I want you off that baseball team of yours."

"I'm not on a baseball team!"

"Oh, really?" Bob walked over to a small closet behind the kitchen door and pulled out Helga's baseball bag. Her cleats and bag were caked with dust that fell onto the floor. "Quit the team," he repeated.

"Bob, you can't be serious!" Helga glared at her father.

"Damn right I am serious! I don't want you playing on the boy's baseball team! I can't believe that school even let you on it!" He smacked his hand on the kitchen counter.

"Bob! I'm really good! I'm the best player!"

"That doesn't matter! The baseball team is for boys! Either you drop the team or you switch schools!"

"I'm not leaving GW or baseball, Bob!"

"You will do what I say! School or baseball, Olga!"

"No!"

Bob crossed the kitchen and held onto his daughter's arm, "School or baseball!" He tightened his grip around her fragile arm. He was pressing with all of his strength.

Helga tried to squirm her way out of his grip. He was strong. "Let me go!"

"Not until you decide! Or I will for you!"

"I'm not leaving my high school!" She still tried to break free.

"Then your dropping off the baseball team! Or I'm going to march right up to your coach and give him a piece of my mind!"

"No, Bob! I'll drop the team," Helga finally released her arm and ran upstairs.

Normally, she would've thought up a plan to stay on the team. They _needed _her. But Bob was really angry. He'd never laid a hand on her before. If she stayed on the team and he found out. . . it would end badly. She could be seriously injured.

Helga stared at her uniform, tears streaking her cheeks. Their winter season hadn't even started and she was getting kicked off. "This sucks," she collapsed on her bed and hugged her pillow.

Helga was late to school the next day. She came in just in time for biology. Arnold released a sigh of relief. He wouldn't have to do the lab alone. He was worried something was wrong, but refrained from asking. Helga looked extremely upset when she stormed into the classroom.

"Helga, what's wrong?" Phoebe asked quietly.

"Later, Pheebs," Helga pulled out her biology notebook.

Gerald gasped as he reached across the table and turned over Helga's arm. There was a perfect handprint impressed in varying grays and purples. She was badly bruised. "What happened?"

Helga pulled her arm back, "Nothing, Geraldo!"

Phoebe pulled her friend aside, "Helga, are you okay?"

"I said _later, _Phoebe. Okay? Let's just get to work."

The four worked in silence. Gerald, Phoebe and Arnold kept their eyes glued to Helga, looking back and forth between her arm and her face. As soon as the bell rang, Arnold and Gerald quickly fled the table.

"Helga, what happened?" Phoebe sat down next to her best friend.

"Bob found out I was on the baseball team. I don't know how, but he did. He threatened to pull me out of school if I didn't quit the team. He grabbed my arm really hard last night," she traced the bruise. "So, I had to talk to Coach Diedrek this morning. I'm off the team."

"Oh, Helga, I'm so sorry!"

"Everyone on the team is going to hate me. I begged Coach not to tell them the reason why I left." Helga slammed her head onto the table top. "This day sucks." Phoebe hugged her friend tightly and the two quickly went their separate ways.

**H-A!-H-A!**

"She _what_?" Wolfgang howled.

"She quit the team," Diedrek replied calmly.

"Why?"

Arnold and Gerald looked at each other out of the corner of their eyes. Phoebe had told them why. Arnold clenched his fist as their coach walked up and down their line up along the baseline. Arnold was extremely angry with Bob. He shouldn't treat his daughter like that!

"We're not allowed to say," Alex replied.

"I can't believe she quit! Our first winter game is in a few weeks! We won't be able to find a replacement in time!" Iggy fell back against the fence.

"I know things look bad, but we just have to stay positive."

"Who are we kidding, Coach? We're screwed without Helga!" Edmund sighed.

"I want to know why she quit! Does she think she's too good for us? I'm gonna go ask her!" Wolfgang clenched his fist and stormed off to his car. The entire team followed behind. Diedrek and Alex remained frozen, unsure how to react.

"Oh, no! Gerald!" Arnold pulled Gerald along and they ran towards Wolfgang's car. They tried to stop him by standing in front of his car, "You can't talk to her!"

"I can do whatever I want! Out of the way, dorks!" Wolfgang revved his engine and sped out of the school's parking lot. Arnold took off running.

_No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no! _He thought as he turned the corner and saw her house in view. He tripped over his own feet, but quickly regained his footing as he sprinted the last few yards to her house. He could see Wolfgang stepping out of the car. He checked - Bob's car wasn't in sight. They were safe.

"Helga!" Wolfgang slammed his fist against the door. "Open up!"

The door flew open. "What?"

Arnold tried to steady his breathing as Wolfgang stepped into the house. "Why did you quit?" Helga didn't say anything. "Tell me!"

"No!"

"Wolfgang, leave her alone!" Arnold yelled as he stepped inside.

"Back out of his, Arnold! I want to know why! And I'm not leaving until I get my answer!"

The baseball team showed up and all of the boys began shoving their way into Helga's house. She stepped back, slowly walking backwards up the stairs. Wolfgang followed close behind.

"Why did you quit?" Wolfgang demanded again. "Tell me!" Everyone else began asking too, all talking at once.

"I said leave her alone!" Arnold yelled above everyone. The room went silent.

"I just had to quit, okay?" Helga glared at Wolfgang.

"Helga, tell us the _real _reason," a few sophomores prodded in gentle voices. Helga clenched her jaw. Her body ached and her arm was sore. She didn't want to deal with all of the guys. Helga discreetly brought her bruised arm behind her back.

"I had to quit because - "

"Because she got too distracted," Arnold finished, "with a guy." Everyone turned and glared at Arnold.

"_You_'re the reason she quit?" Wolfgang pointed his finger accusingly at Arnold. Helga's jaw was on the floor, _Why is he doing this? He's lying! They'll hate him forever!_

Arnold sighed, taking one last glance at Helga before nodding. "Yeah. So don't hate her." He shut his eyes, prepared to be punched, "Hate me."

Wolfgang seized Arnold by his shirt and pressed him up against the wall, "_You're going to regret your mistake, Arnold," _he hissed before dropping him. The rest of the team left. Arnold remained frozen against the floor.

"Why did you do that?" Helga sat down beside him.

"I know the real reason why you quit. And that's not anyone business. You're a really great player, and you didn't deserve anything they were going to do to you. Besides, your a girl. They shouldn't beat up a girl."

"But they'll _kill _you."

"I can take it," he shrugged, not sure if she would believe that lie or not.

"Arnold, you're crazy! I can't let you do that. I'll tell them the truth," Helga stood up but Arnold pulled her back down.

"Helga, it's okay. They don't need to know about your personal life. Besides, I've been beaten up by Wolfgang before. It won't be too bad."

"Goddamn it, Arnold. Why do you have to be so nice?"

He shrugged, "Someone has to be."

"Well, thanks for covering up for me. You really didn't have to lie to everyone."

Arnold smiled, "I wasn't totally lying, Helga. _I_'ve been extremely distracted, actually."

Helga smirked, "With a guy?"

Arnold laughed, "No, not a guy. A girl. I guess I've been distracted all year, actually. I find myself up half the night, just wondering about her." Arnold's cheeks flushed as he watched Helga focus her attention straight ahead. Everything he had ever questioned about, mainly his feelings for Helga, just suddenly became clear when he stood up for her. It just made sense to him. He wanted to be with Helga. Even though it took him seven years to figure out.

Helga forced herself to remain calm. He wasn't talking about her. She knew he wasn't. _He couldn't be! Could he?_

"Why? Don't you talk to her?"

"Yeah, I do."

"I'm guessing you haven't asked her out yet?"

"Nope. She's been busy, just like I have. Baseball has over taken my life. I mean, she has too. I can't stop thinking about her. She's just the only person I want to be with, the only person I want to talk to. It's easy to talk to her about everything. I really like her, it just took me a while to figure it out." Helga said nothing. She just turned her body so she was now completely facing him. Her heart was throbbing in her ears. She forced herself to keep doubting whether he was talking about her or not.

Arnold knew she wasn't picking up the fact she was talking about her. Or she was and just trying to act uninterested. So, he kept talking, "But I can't really do anything about it because I don't know how she feels.

Arnold smiled, "I mean, she told me how she felt once, but it was years ago." Helga's eyes were wide now. _Arnold likes me. OH. MY. GOD. He wants to know how I feel! "_I find myself wondering if she still feels anything for me."

"So, w-w-why don't you ask her?" Helga stammered.

Arnold very slowly leaned forwards, smiling brightly, "I just did."


	4. How To Keep A Secret Safe

**Love Is Like A Baseball Bat**

_Chapter Four - How To Keep A Secret Safe_

There was no doubt in his mind. Arnold finally closed the small gap between them. He knew that Helga still felt the same way about him. He could tell from the look on her face. Her eyes were still wide, her cheeks were red, and she was trying to hide her goofy, love-struck smile. Arnold knew he was too.

Helga couldn't find the words. She couldn't even_ breathe_ let alone think of something to say. It was the first time in her life she was speechless.

Arnold and Helga were less than an inch apart now and Helga swore she was dreaming. Arnold was going to kiss her! And not because it was in some script, but because he _wanted _to!

At first, the kiss was soft and gentle. But as time wore on, Arnold found himself kissing her passionately. It reminded him of what happened on the roof of FTi. Helga was loving it. He gently cupped her face, bringing her even closer to him. The two were still on the floor, Arnold's back was against the wall and his legs tangled with Helga's.

It felt like forever had passed when the two finally separated for air. _Oh, my God. _Helga brought her gaze up from Arnold's dazzling green eyes to see Alex hovering over the two. Arnold was afraid to turn around. Helga then looked past Alex to see that the front door was still wide open.

"So, you weren't lying," Alex mused.

Arnold helped Helga off the floor. "Coach-"

"Save it, Arnold. When the team told me what you said, I thought that it was crazy, considering the fact that I knew the real reason why and because I had specifically told you not to be with Helga."

"But she's off the team now-"

"And now our best hitter is distracted with his new girlfriend. Arnold, there's a reason I tell you guys to stay single. Girls are distracting."

Arnold stopped. Obviously he didn't know about Gerald and Phoebe. He was about to speak, but Alex continued, "Diedrek will not be pleased. He's already stressed about having to look for a new pitcher."

"Alex, let me talk to him," Helga demanded.

"I don't know."

"Please? I'll clear everything with Diedrek, and the boys too."

"Alright, tomorrow at practice," Alex sighed before leaving. Arnold turned and smiled at Helga.

"What are you going to say to them?"

"No idea."

**H-A!-H-A!**

"So, let me see if I have this right," Diedrek lowered his sunglasses to look Helga in the eyes, "your dad threatened to pull you out of school if you stayed on the baseball team, so you quit. Then once the team found out, they all hunted you down like wild animals, demanding to know the truth. And you were about to tell them the truth, but Arnold stepped in and lied about a nonexistent love relationship between you two that then suddenly turned into one. Is that right?"

"Yeah, that's pretty much it."

Diedrek laughed. "Teenagers, I swear, their excuses get more and more elaborate."

"It's not an excuse!"

"Oh, really? If it's not, where's your boyfriend?"

"He's not my boyfriend." _Yet_.

"I rest my case."

"No, Coach, listen! I've had feelings for Arnold since we were little. And since this year started, for whatever reason, Arnold started to like me too. And we kissed yesterday after he told me he had feelings for me."

"That's it?"

"Yes."

Diedrek pulled his sunglasses over his eyes as he watched the boys exit the locker room. "So, why are you telling me this Pataki?"

"I don't know."

"Do you want to join the team again? Is that it?"

Helga sighed, "I'd love to be back on the team. But my father won't allow it. You've seen my arm. If he found out I was lying to him, it could be a lot worse."

"Helga, you're the best player we have. If you really want to, you can stay on the team. You shouldn't quit just because your dad made a few lousy threats and because you and Arnold kissed. You still have seventeen guys, including me, standing behind you, supporting your decision."

"I don't think the team likes me much anymore, Coach."

Diedrek watched as Wolfgang and the rest of the seniors threw baseballs at Arnold. Arnold struggled to dodge them. One struck him square in the chest. _Ouch._

"They're just upset. I'm sure if you tried really hard, you'd be able to win them back. We need you, Helga. We're not a team without you."

"Coach, I can't."

"Don't you want to be back out there practicing? It's finally cool weather," Diedrek smiled.

"Of course I do. I want to play baseball."

"So, where's your dad? I don't see him here to stop you." Helga smiled. "And if your dad finds out, tell him it was my fault. I'd like to see him try and keep you off our team."

"Oh, Coach, thank you!" Helga, completely overjoyed, hugged Diedrek before running off the field to the locker room.

"What was that about?" Gerald laughed as he watched Helga run away.

"I'm guessing something good?" Arnold laughed. He still hadn't told Gerald about his feelings for Helga, or the fact that they kissed. He lied to Gerald, saying that he was just standing up for Helga, and that it was just his good nature. He felt guilty about lying, but Gerald still didn't like Helga.

"Boys, round up! We have some great news for you," Alex smiled as the guys lined up.

"Pataki's back on the team," Diedrek smiled.

"What?" they exclaimed.

"Contrary to popular belief, Arnold and Helga are not involved in a relationship. Helga's father was actually the reason she quit. But we fixed the issue. Now that's she back on the team, we have to make sure her dad doesn't find out. Now we have a chance at winning our first game next month!" A few sophomores cheered, "Okay, now give me ten laps!"

Helga quickly joined her teammates in a run around the field.

"Come on, Helga! Keep up!" Wolfgang laughed as he passed Helga, who had been in the lead for the fifth lap.

"I'm trying, Wolfgang, but your big fat head is in the way!" she snarled before running beside him. Wolfgang was surprised to see her catch up. The two ran the last half of the laps like a race, trying to beat each other. In the end, Helga won.

"Looks like you couldn't keep up, Wolfgang," she laughed.

He laughed too, "Welcome back Pataki."

All through practice, Arnold caught himself simply watching Helga. Just taking in all of her with each look. He'd watch her leg bend and raise into the air, bringing her knee to her stomach, as she wound up the ball. He'd notice body twist as she stretched. He could see her hips poking out from her uniform.

Helga could feel his eyes on her. Even as she pitched him curve balls, she couldn't help but watch him too. She had watching him since day one, admiring his body in his workout clothes. But now that he was looking back, something felt different. Better, almost.

"Last pitch of the day, Pataki! Strike him out!" Alex yelled. All of the boys began cheering for her as Arnold stepped back up to the plate.

Arnold was too busy watching Helga instead of the ball. It flew past him with a lot of speed. Arnold didn't even bother swinging, instead he stumbled off the clay.

"Dude! What was that?" the team yelled. Arnold couldn't think of an excuse. "Alright, guys, cool down laps!" Alex broke up the team's jeering towards Arnold. Helga lead the team in the laps, and she could tell Arnold was still watching her. As soon as she finished the ten laps, Helga ran towards the girl's locker room.

"Hey, Helga!"

Helga turned around, smiling brightly. Arnold was walking towards her. Her heart began racing even faster than it already was. The two cool down laps only made her heart work harder. Now she knew her heart would rip through her chest.

"Yeah?"

"We still have to do our biology lab, remember?"

"Oh, right. I completely forgot."

"Can you meet at my house, tonight, around eight?"

"Sounds great, Football Head."

"Arnold! Your little friend is here!" Grandpa yelled as Helga stepped inside. Phil simply smiled, shaking his head back and forth. He knew it. Phil may be old, but he didn't buy the "just studying" excuse Arnold had given him earlier.

"Hey, Helga. Come on, I have my books upstairs," Arnold stopped halfway down the stairs.

"Don't have too much fun!" Phil yelled before laughing to himself. "Oh, I'm a crazy ol' coot."

"Ah, Kimba!" His grandmother stopped the two in the hallway. "I see you have found another hunter. Greetings!" she waved the fly swatter, only to suddenly stop. She stared at the fly as it landed on the wall.

Arnold pulled Helga along and up the stairs to his attic room. Helga's stomach knotted. She had been in his room plenty of times before, but he never knew she was there. She'd broken in, spent nights in his closet, and fallen through his floor.

"Sorry about my grandparents. I think they've gotten even crazier with age."

"It's okay. Better than my family," Helga shrugged as Arnold sat down at his desk.

"So, biology!" Arnold faked enthusiasm as he pulled out his lab.

"I hate biology," Helga laughed.

"Yeah, how many times do we have to hear about cells and genetics? We did this stuff in seventh grade."

"At least it's easy."

Arnold laughed, "Woah, look at you. Being optimistic about something."

"You're just rubbing off on me," Helga's cheeks flushed as she felt Arnold press his lips against hers.

Somehow, the two managed to finish the genetics lab. Helga didn't even remember writing anything, but there she was, turning in a complete lab in class the next day.

"Wow, I'm impressed Pataki. You actually did the work," Gerald smiled.

"Shut up, Tall Hair Boy!"

Gerald used a baby voice, "Look like someone's a little tired. Do you wanna take a nap?"

"Do you want to sleep with the fishes?" Helga clenched her fist. Arnold and Phoebe exchanged worried glances. They didn't know why Gerald and Helga hated each other so much.

"Oh, please, Helga. Your threats are as empty as your heart."

"Keep smirking like that Geraldo, we'll see how much heart you have left when I'm done with you!"

"Guys-" Arnold tried to interrupt.

"Stay out of this, Football Head!" Helga barked. Arnold tried really hard not to laugh. He found it hard to find Helga threatening after all they'd been through these past few days. Arnold discreetly slid closer to Helga and rested his hand on her knee. Helga stopped talking to Phoebe and smiled, completely zoned out.

"Something wrong?" Gerald asked.

"No. I just. . . forgot what I was going to say."

"Let's begin!" their teacher interjected, stopping Gerald from firing another insult at Helga.

**H-A!-H-A!**

"So, we have to keep our relationship a secret? From everyone?" A smile crossed Helga's lips as Arnold held her waist. Arnold walked Helga home after baseball practice and the two snuck in her window.

"Unless you want your dad to kick my ass, then have both of us kicked off the baseball team, we have to keep us a secret."

Helga's heart raced once he said 'us'. He had only asked her to be his girlfriend. . ._ten minutes ago_. She found it hard to stand upright without holding onto him for support. "Okay. So, things will be normal. I'll still pick on you and call you names. It'll look like nothings happening between us."

"Good. Oh, and you can't tell Phoebe either, because she'll tell Gerald and then Gerald will tell the guys on the team and -"

"Arnold, I understand, okay? I won't tell a soul. My lips are sealed," she said quickly before kissing Arnold. She could never get enough of him.

Helga's cell phone rang, bringing the teen's attention to Helga's desk. "Phoebe," she smiled before picking up. Arnold nodded and quickly left the room. "Hey, what's up?"

"Hey, Helga. You seem to be in a much better mood than you were earlier. You and Gerald were really fighting today."

"Yeah, I know. Whatever, it's over, Pheebs. So what's up?"

"Are you going to the Halloween Dance? It's actually on Halloween this year."

"I can't, Pheebs. Our baseball game is the next day."

"Gerald is still coming."

"I know, he's being a dare devil." Phoebe laughed, "But I don't want to risk coming home late and waking up Bob. Sorry, Pheebs, looks like it'll just be you and Gerald at the dance."

"Oh, alright, Helga. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Bye, Phoebe."

After Bob came home, Arnold snuck out the window and walked home. He really liked being with Helga. She slowly let her walls down and quit the sarcastic comments. She was nice to him.

Arnold still found himself staring at the pink ribbon. Every morning he'd find it on his nightstand, next to his phone. He'd usually call Helga before bed and he'd wish her a goodnight's sleep. Then he'd toy with the ribbon, twisting it through his fingers as he continued to wonder about her. He didn't know why. He was dating her, but he could never stop thinking about her.

"Come on, Helga! Push yourself!" Diedrek yelled as Helga sprinted up and down the white chalk baseline. She came to practice early the next day, wanting to get a few tips on better pitching, and now she was running to warm up.

_I'd like to tell you where I want to push my fist!_ "Diedrek, I'm going to kill you!" she panted.

"Less talking means more oxygen. Keep running! We'll stretch your arm when you're done."

Helga tripped over first plate and was sent flying forwards into the grass. "Coach!" she growled.

She could hear her team's laughter as they ran their laps around her. She knew Arnold had stopped, but she looked up and waved him on his way. He paused for a moment, but she continued to wave at him.

Helga quickly jumped up, only to look at her bruised body. Her legs and upper body were green from grass stains and the clay cut up her knee. Her shirt had ridden up and the zipper on the base managed to scrape across her stomach.

Alex cupped his hands over his mouth, raising his voice, "Helga, are you okay? You're not bleeding, are you?"

"Just a little," she yelled back before joining her team. She could feel sweat trickle down her forehead, and her arms and back ached, but she wasn't going to stop. Even as the fall breeze whipped through the air, Helga found herself just as hot as she was a month ago. She looked down to see a small line of blood stain her shirt.

"That girl really doesn't take a break, does she?" Alex muttered to Diedrek.

"No, and that's okay. She's tougher than half the team, and we need a strong player."

Game day was coming close. Helga could feel the pressure from the team. They all wanted to win badly, and expected a lot from Helga. Their practices had gotten to be ten times more intense, Helga could barely feel her right arm move at all unless she was throwing a baseball forwards.

Her grades were slowly slipping. At first, Helga forced herself to stay up and study or do her homework. But one forgotten English assignment in the beginning of October was the beginning of the end. After that, baseball became all she could manage. She forgot about homework, unless it was a biology lab, and struggled to maintain a C average. She needed to keep a C in all her classes to stay on the team.

Since Helga and Arnold had signed over their souls to baseball, they didn't have any free time to go out on dates. Not even on Fridays, when Coach cut them early! Somehow Alex managed to keep Helga busy with more and more pitching practices. Arnold and Helga would only get a few minutes before practice to be together, but Arnold always walked or drove Helga home. Sometimes he'd come in, if Bob wasn't home early. And they'd do their biology homework together, since all they were assigned were labs. But they never really had time to just sit and relax and enjoy being together.

"Helga, I'm worried about you," Phoebe smiled at her friend as they met at their lockers before school.

"Why? I'm fine."

"I mean your grades. I've noticed your struggling in everything, except English and biology."

"It's just a little slump. I'll be able to bring my grades back up after our first game. We just have really intense and late practices."

"You sure you can handle it?"

"Yeah, Phoebe. But thanks for worrying." Phoebe smiled before hugging Helga.

Their first game was only two days away.

**H-A!-H-A!**

"You guys deserve a night off, so I'll see you all tomorrow bright and early, at seven a.m. Our game starts at eight. Go have fun at the dance or whatever," Diedrek laughed as he dismissed the team.

The guys remained on the field for a moment. "Did Coach just give us the night off?" Wolfgang asked.

"Yeah. This is the first night since August that we don't have baseball practice," Ludwig laughed.

"So, should we go to the dance?"

"Yeah, why not?" a few sophomores shrugged before picking up their bags and walking off. The entire team followed after. Gerald was so excited to have the night off that he left his cell phone on the bench in the dug out. He quickly realized and turned back for it, only to see Arnold and Helga standing on the field. He guessed they were fighting about something. They had been at each other's throats constantly since Helga came back to the team. And if Helga and Arnold weren't fighting, she was fighting with Gerald.

_What is going on?_ he wondered as he tried to eavesdrop. He saw Helga's arms go around his neck. _What? Is she choking him or something?_ Gerald couldn't hear a word they were saying, so he picked up his cell phone and resumed walking away. But his curiosity got the better of him. He turned around one last time, only to see them. . . Gerald rubbed his eyes and blinked furiously, thinking he was day dreaming. No, he had seem them right. _Arnold and Helga were kissing! _Gerald froze, unsure if he should vomit, scream, or run away. Or do all three.

Arnold had asked Helga to the dance a week ago. He planned on going with her whether they had practice or not. The dance was a Halloween Masquerade, and everyone had to wear masks.

"Please, tell me what your mask looks like," Arnold begged.

"No. You're just going to have to wait and be surprised. I know I'll be able to find you," she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Please?"

Helga rolled her eyes, "No, Football Head."

Arnold smiled before kissing her.

Suddenly, a familiar rap ringtone brought Arnold off of Helga. He recognized it as Gerald's phone. Arnold panicked, his stomach twisted tightly.

"What's going on here, Arnold?" He turned around to face Gerald. Gerald looked confused, hurt, and slightly pale. Arnold and Helga were at a loss for words. "Are you two actually together?" Neither spoke. "Well?"

Arnold slowly nodded. "Yeah, we're together."

"Is this a joke?"

"Are we laughing, Gerald?" Helga snapped.

"You guys are actually together? Like it's a real thing?"

Arnold took Helga's hand in his, "Yeah, Gerald. What's wrong with that?"

"Arnold, man, are you crazy? This is _Helga_." He threw his arms in her direction, "You were her personal punching bag for like ten years!"

Arnold squeezed her hand tighter, "I really like her, Gerald."

Gerald covered his face with his hands, "Does anyone else know?"

"No one. If anyone found out, we'd be kicked off the team."

"Diedrek wouldn't do that. You guys are the team."

"Alex would. He's been really hard on both of us," Helga added quietly. Gerald let out a quick breath before shaking his head. "I have to go. I promise I won't tell anyone, okay?" He stuck his hand out and he and Arnold did their signature handshake.

The two waited until Gerald had left before walking home.

"That could've gone better," Arnold sighed.

"He's your best friend. He'll come around. And, if it makes you feel any better, I'll be nicer to him," Helga smiled.

"Thank you," he kissed her quickly before leaving her doorstep. "I'll see you at the dance."

"Bye."

Helga ran upstairs and pulled out her cell phone, "Phoebe?"

"Oh, hey, Helga! I just got a text from Gerald. No baseball tonight! Does that mean you're coming to the dance?"

"Yeah, actually, that's why I was calling."

"Is something wrong?"

"I don't have a costume. I have a mask but couldn't find anything for it."

"Hmm. . .well, I'll meet you at the mall in an hour, okay?"

"Oh, thank you Phoebe! I'll see you then!"

**H-A!-H-A!**

"_You and Helga_! I'm still not done talking to you about this!" Gerald playfully rammed his best friend shoulder.

The dance was being held in the YMAA gym, just like every other dance. There were a few pumpkins hanging on the wall, the lights were turned off and a disco ball hung from the ceiling. Arnold showed up just before Gerald and Phoebe arrived. Helga had wanted to surprise Arnold, so he didn't pick her up. Thinking about it now, it was better if they came separately, so their relationship remained hidden.

Gerald had pulled Arnold off to the side and began questioning him.

"Gerald, please, let it go. I'll tell you about everything later."

"Oh, God! I don't want to hear_ everything_ I just want to make sure you're still sane!"

"Helga's not bad, Gerald. You're just holding a grudge against her."

"Can you blame me? We were her personal targets!"

"She had a reason," Arnold began. He had figured everything about after the FTi confession. The more she picked on him, the more she was just trying to hide the fact she liked him. It made sense. But Arnold never told Gerald about her confession. It wasn't Gerald's business.

"Yeah, because she hated us. Arnold, did you just block out your elementary days or something?"

"No, Gerald. I'll talk to you about this later. Go to your girlfriend," Arnold pointed Gerald off towards Phoebe. Gerald saluted Arnold before returning to her.

Arnold scanned the crowd and he didn't see Helga anywhere. He could have and not realized, but he figured it was unlikely. He knew he could pick Helga out of a crowd. He saw dozens of girls in ball gowns and elegant dresses with matching masks, while some of the guys wore tuxes and solid black masks and others wore Halloween costumes.

His eyes set on her and he swore his lungs stopped working. She looked. . . _What's another word for beyond incredible? _he wondered.

Helga was nervous about coming to the dance. She knew she looked good, finally rid of the pounds of dirt, sweat and grime that had become part of her skin. She showered daily after baseball, but tonight she stayed in the shower for three hours after school, rubbing her skin until it was raw.

Phoebe had encouraged her to wear four in black heels to match her black dress. The dress was angled across her legs, the slit starting on her thigh and slowly dropping with elegant ruffles to the floor. She was worried that she would trip on the end of the dress. The top half was a black beaded corset that had extra fabric attached to the bottom, reaching the beginning of her thigh.

Helga slipped into the YMMA gym and began scanning the crowd. She adjusted her mask, making sure she could see, even though the room was filled with smoke. Helga's masked was a gold masquerade style mask, where it only covers part of the forehead and stops on the beginning of the cheeks, and leaves the nose slightly covered. The gold was accented with black lace around the edges and the eyes, and on the right side there were beaded black feathers.

Helga's eyes first set on Rhonda. It was hard not to look at her, she was wearing a bright red dress and was surrounded by tons of guys. Rhonda's eyes quickly met Helga's and Rhonda marched across the floor.

"You're wearing the same dress as me," she hissed. Helga smiled, saying nothing. "Go change," Rhonda demanded. Helga continued to smile, still not saying anything. _Rhonda would be upset_, Helga thought.

"I'm already here, aren't I?" Helga shot back. "Why would I go home and change because you told me to?" Helga rammed Rhonda's shoulder before walking away. It was stupid, pointless drama. To Helga, Rhonda was basically a spoiled princess and. . . _Riiiiippp!_

Rhonda released a laugh. She had stepped on the back of Helga's dress, ripping off the ruffles. The dress was now a corset with a little amount of fabric touching her legs. A few girls joined in Rhonda's laughter.

Helga turned around and smiled, "Thanks, you just made this dress a lot better." Rhonda rolled her eyes and walked away, followed by Thad and a group of caddy girls.

Helga could feel Arnold's eyes on her. She felt heat rise to her cheeks as she saw him cross the gym floor, smiling brightly.

"Something tells me you had a run in with Rhonda," Arnold laughed as he watched Rhonda storm back across the gym's floor.

"Oh, well. I probably should thank her, she fixed my dress." Arnold gave Helga a quick one over. Her long, muscular legs looked amazing in her new short dress. Of course, Arnold would've though she looked amazing in anything. Arnold could tell she was struggling to stand in her heels, and it only caused her calves to flex harder with each step.

He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close.

Gerald laughed as he watched Arnold and Helga together. It was still too weird for him to even think about. It was hard to imagine how their relationship worked.

"Hey, man, play this," Gerald slipped the DJ a five dollar bill and a name of a song.

Phoebe laughed once Gerald told him the plan. "You're terrible, Gerald!" Gerald simply winked.

The DJ quickly faded the next song into the one Gerald had requested. Arnold felt his cheeks burn as he scanned the crowd for Gerald. He saluted the two.

"I have a feeling Gerald wants a show."

"As long as there's no pool at the end of this, I'll dance the tango with you," Helga laughed, remembering the last time the two had danced together. It was April Fool's Day in fourth grade, and Mr. Simmons' was hosting an April Fool's Dance at the YMMA Gym. Helga pretended to be blind, torturing Arnold by making him think it was his fault she was blind. It was the perfect prank, until Gerald over heard Helga tell her plan to Phoebe. Gerald told Arnold and they planned revenge. He tangoed her right into the pool. But Arnold was stupid enough to take Helga's hand and be pulled in.

And now the two were dancing again. Helga was still surprised that Arnold knew the tango, but she still loved being close to him. Last time, Arnold was rough with her. This time he was smooth. The spicy Latin beat picked up and the two danced across the floor, Helga and Arnold pressed tightly together.

"Oh, man, I wish I could reopen the pool," Gerald laughed again as he watched Arnold quickly dip Helga. She beamed at him. A crowd was forming around the floor now.

"Any idea who the girl is?" Gerald turned to see Wolfgang and the rest of the baseball team watching.

"Not a clue."

Gerald sneered, "You guys are idiots!"

"Oh, so you know who the girl is?" Ed asked.

"It's Helga!"

"Shut up!" Iggy exclaimed. The team exchanged quick glances of surprise.

"They're good at dancing," Ed offered.

Gerald rolled his eyes. He suddenly understood why Helga and Wolfgang picked on the team. The boys were easy targets.

Helga heard the baseball team laughing. "We have a bigger audience," she muttered.

"Great," Arnold rolled his eyes, then smiled, "there goes our secret."

"What?" Helga asked, only to be answered with a kiss as the song ended.


	5. Earth Still Spins As The World Ends

**Love Is Like A Baseball Bat**

_Chapter Five: Earth Still Spins As The World Ends_

The fourteen high school students playing on the varsity baseball team stared at Arnold in Helga, locked on each other's mouths. Everyone was surprised, but as they thought about it. . . no, it was pretty freaking weird. No one else was paying attention to them now, the song had changed and more couples were on the dance floor. But no one on the team saw it coming. They all thought back to their practices: Helga always yelling at Arnold for being lazy or slow or a bad hitter. Helga bullied the crap out of this kid and he was _dating _her! How twisted was that?

"I actually think Arnold is crazier than I am," Thad laughed.

"Does Arnold know it's _Helga_?" Wolfgang asked, slightly disgusted.

"Oh, man, Alex is gonna freak," Iggy laughed.

"He's a bold kid," Gerald laughed before taking Phoebe to the dance floor.

**H-A!-H-A!**

Helga stretched as she slid out of Arnold's arms. The two had fallen asleep on the boarding house roof around one a.m. Helga could remember leaving the dance after explaining to the team her relationship with Arnold. They agreed to keep it a secret from Alex and Diedrek.

After they left the dance, Arnold took Helga to the roof to watch the stars. He said that they hadn't had any time alone since they started dating. The couple talked about everything they could think of, made out for a little while, and they rested in each other's arms.

Helga looked at the city's clock tower: _7:48 a.m._ She immediately jumped to her feet, only to wobble in her heels. "Arnold!" she kicked him. He opened his eyes and smiled. "We overslept!"

In two seconds, the teens were climbing back down into Arnold's room. Arnold, forgetting his girlfriend was in the room, hastily stripped into his boxers and dressed into his baseball uniform: white undershirt, gray and blue jersey, athletic sliders (which helped his boxers stay in place), and the baseball pants. Helga watched Arnold's abdomen flex as he pulled his shirt over his head, then she turned away. Now that he was dressed, Arnold grabbed his cap and baseball bag, struggling to put his socks and cleats on as he and Helga descended the stairs. She tossed Arnold the keys to the Packard. "7:50! We have to get my stuff!"

Arnold was normally a good driver. He obeyed all the rules and drove safely. But today was too important to miss. Arnold floored it, reaching Helga's in a few minutes. Helga threw her heels on the ground as she spirited up the stairs, heart in her throat. She grabbed her uniform and everything out from under her bed and jumped down the stairs two at a time. She threw herself into the car, flustered.

"Arnold, just keep your eyes on the road and well make it to the game, okay?" Arnold nodded as he watched Helga unzip her dress. Arnold forced himself to keep staring at the road, ignoring the fact that Helga had stripped out of her dress and somehow got into her sports bra and pants. She threw on her undershirt and buttoned up her jersey. She pulled her hair under her baseball cap, not sure how long it would stay under without an elastic.

Arnold had told Helga Alex's plan to hide the fact that she was a girl. Helga loved the idea. It was so devious, and something she would do. Helga quickly slid into her cleats and finally let a breath go.

_8:03 a.m._

Arnold haphazardly parallel parked at the front of the school. Helga was already sprinting to the field. "Coach! Alex! Diedrek! We're here!" Helga screamed as she neared the field.

Wolfgang looked up from the dugout to see Helga running towards them, "Coach!" he barked.

Diedrek ran back to the dugout, face pale. He had to talk to Franklin High's coach and tried to stall him. The umpire wasn't to pleased either. Suddenly, the whole Hillwood team began cheering. Helga quickly pulled her glove on and grabbed a ball. She threw a few slow warm up pitches to Iggy in the dugout.

Hillwood couldn't waste anymore time. Wolfgang quickly ran to center field, ready for the umpire's coin toss. The winner would bat first.

"Franklin, call it," he said behind the mask as the coin flipped in the air.

"Tails," the team captain glared at Wolfgang.

The umpire quickly checked his wrist, uncovering the coin. "Tails it is!" Wolfgang shook the opposing team captain's hand, unable to control his smile.

Helga quickly ran to center field, panting as her stomach knotted. She had no time to properly warm up, or hear words of encouragement from Diedrek, so she was doubting herself. She knew she could wipe out her teammates with one pitch, but she knew nothing about the Franklin High Warriors.

Edmund crouched behind their hitter, his glove open. He began signaling Helga with numbers. One meant fast ball with tight spin. Two meant right curve ball. Three meant "Helga's Hell", which was typically an extremely fast spinning ball released with her shocking yell. Four meant left curve ball. The number order switched depending on if the batter was a left or right handed swinger. The Franklin Fighters first player was a righty.

Edmund watched the player swing a few practices. Ed was chosen to be catcher because he could find the weakness in any players stance or swing. He noticed how the player kept his right elbow in too much, it looked like it wad glued to his side. Ed flashed Helga the number two- the right curve would come in too close and he'd strike out.

Helga nodded. She waited until the boy stepped up to the plate. She blocked out everything- all of the noises from the teams, coaches and fans. All she focused on was the ball. She wasn't even sure if she was breathing. Helga wrapped her hand around the ball, making sure her fingers aligned with the red stitching correctly. She glanced towards home plate, and the batter nodded, eyes piercing from under his helmet.

She wound up and threw the ball, watching it curve towards the right. The boy swung. "Strike one!"

The opposing team began yelling, "Come on Johnny! You can do it! Stay focused!" She fired another strike at him. Johnny began to grow angry.

Helga could hear her boys cheering for her, yelling only her last name. She smiled as he returned to the plate. Edmund flashed a four- Johnny had adjusted his right elbow, but when he swung through for the first and second pitches, he whacked his left shoulder. If the ball came to the left, he'd have to swing with more force, stressing his sore shoulder.

Helga quickly stretched, rolled her shoulder back, and stepped up to the center of the mound. She brought her knee close to her chest and threw the ball, watching it make contact with the bat. The ball flew straight towards her. She moved over slightly to the left and caught the ball easily.

"Out!" the umpire screamed.

Johnny was pissed off, now. He began mouthing to Helga, "You. Are. Dead."

She smiled. She was in his head now, and she hadn't even revealed her true gender! Johnny raised part of his upper lip; he was physically snarling now. Helga found it hard to control her laughter. All of her nerves had disappeared, she felt relaxed. She could handle this Johnny No Hitter.

Ed flashed one finger. Helga smiled broadly, it was his middle finger. Johnny nodded and Helga pitched him his last ball. Helga knew he would do it; Johnny bunted the ball. Helga was off the mound as soon as the two pieces of equipment made contact. Helga dove forwards, caking her body with dust as she caught the ball.

"Out!"

Helga stood up, only to hear a collective gasp. She felt her hair fall down her back and saw her blue hat on the ground. She awkwardly ran her fingers through it, trying to unknot it.

"Umpire!" Franklin's players yelled from the dugout. The umpire slowly stood up, cracking his back.

"Girl, team captains and coaches, here! Now!" Ed and Johnny stepped way from home plate.

"That's a cruel joke!" Franklin's captain pointed at Helga.

"I'm a human being, _Captain_, and my name is Helga," she put her hands on her hips.

"Why do you have a girl on your team?" The umpire asked Diedrek.

"You saw the way she's playing, we'd be crazy not to have her! And we don't have a girls softball team. And there's no rule against it. No sexual discrimination allowed in high school sports."

"True. Do you have a problem with her continuing the game?"

"Yes!"

Wolfgang glared at the other captain.

"No," the coach replied. "I'd like to see how she can fare through the rest of this game."

Helga quickly stuck her hand out and smiled, "Thank you Coach. . ."

"Anderson," he smiled, lifted his cap, then returned to his dugout.

The rest of the game was a stressful blur for Helga. She'd let a few runs go, then strike out a player. When she stepped up to bat, she remembered hitting it towards Johnny at second base. Johnny had simply tipped the ball and stepped off the plate, losing his balance and letting a runner go. Johnny just wasn't a good player, Helga realized.

Somehow, it became the bottom of the seventh inning. High school baseball games were two innings shorter than Major Leagues. The score was 5-6, Hillwood in the lead. The bases were loaded and the Fighters had two outs. Helga returned to the pitcher's mound, heart pulsing in her ears. She was more nervous now than she was earlier this morning. If she let a run go, they'd score at least one more point and take the win.

"Come on, Helga!" The Hillwood Jays screamed as she watched Edmund take his spot behind their hitter.

Anderson switched up the batting line-up. Now the team's best hitter was stepping up to the plate. The Fighters had walked their last hitter, and now there were two outs. The batter was a righty, and Ed couldn't find a single thing wrong with his stance.

Trying to keep his cool, Edmund flashed Helga the number three. Her eyes widened as she adjusted her hat. She tossed the ball into her mit, considering the possibilities of delivering Helga's Hell. She knew it would fly by so fast the kid wouldn't know what to do. Add the yell would surprise him, too.

_Think about Bob, _she commanded herself as she rolled her shoulders. _Think about every time he's called you 'Olga' or 'girl'. Remember the fact that he yells at you every day. Think about the fact that he's hurt you before. _Helga gripped the ball with all of the anger she could manage. Her knuckle turned white as she slowly lowered her glove and wound up.

The entire Hillwood team and fans were on their feet, watching Helga raise her leg into the air and release a powerful yell. The batter's eyes went wide as he swung.

In a matter of seconds, the entire team was rushing to the field. Helga stood on the mound, frozen. Helga felt like she was floating on a cloud; the team was carrying her on their shoulders.

They won!

The other team found it weird that they were celebrating for a win that didn't count towards the championship games. But for Hillwood, it was a big deal. They just broke their five year losing streak! Flashing lights went off everywhere, the local newspapers wanted pictures of their win.

Once Helga was lowered to the ground, all of the players wrapped her in a hug. Normally, they would've done a dog pile, but they didn't want to injure the best player.

In the excitement of the win, Arnold and Helga kissed. The team, realizing that Alex and Diedrek would look their way any second, poured the team's Gatorade bucket onto the two, quickly splitting them apart. Once the team calmed down from their exciting win, Diedrek took the team out to breakfast. It was only ten a.m.

"I know I should yell at you two for being late and almost costing us the game, but I'm too excited over the win to care!" Diedrek laughed as he slung his shoulders around Arnold and Helga.

"Thanks, Coach," the two replied.

Alex kept quiet. He was suspicious of their relationship. He wondered why they were the only two late, and why they showed up together.

Helga was shaking, not only from the cold Fruit Punch Gatorade that was poured on her, but from her adrenaline high. She was slowly crashing. She had been up until one in the morning, slept for seven hours, then immediately went into overdrive to work her way through the almost two hour game.

As the team walked into the local Panera Bread, Helga felt an intense pain in her right arm. The pain was familiar; overworked muscles from pitching caused strains.

"Helga, you okay?" Gerald asked as the team slid into a large booth.

"Oh, yeah. My arm's just extremely sore," she gently rubbed it.

"Don't worry, I'll grab you some ice for it," Diedrek returned to the table a few seconds later with two bags of ice. "You're going to want to continue icing that for the next two days. And don't forget to stretch it, too. We want your arm to be in perfect condition for practice Monday. We have a travel game on Thursday. We're going to be gone overnight, leaving Wednesday."

"Aw, sweet!" The boys cheered.

Helga's mind thought back to her school agenda. Thursday struck her as an important day. "Our lab final!"

"What?"

"On Thursday, the juniors have a lab final. We have to identify things in microscopes and fill out genetic crosses. It counts towards our final grade. It's really important."

"Helga, I'll talk to your teacher. I'm sure you can make it up."

"But I have to ace it or else my grade will drop and I can't play on the team!"

"Helga, relax. Okay, everything will be okay. Okay? You can't stress," Alex spoke in a serene voice.

Helga nodded.

The team ate and laughed and celebrated. Everyone was happy and enjoying their victory. Helga kept her mind off of school and focused on what was important: her team.

**H-A!-H-A!**

"I just got a call from a Coach Anderson, congratulating you on a wonderful baseball game today," Bob crossed his arms over his chest as he glared down at his daughter. Helga averted her gaze. "I TOLD YOU TO GET OFF THE TEAM!" Bob roared. Helga slowly backed away.

"Dad, we won our game because of me! I'm the best player! It shouldn't matter that I'm a girl!"

"No daughter of mine will play on the boys baseball team! You lied to me! You deliberately went behind my back and disobeyed me!"

Helga continued to back up, back towards her baseball bag on the couch. "Because what you wanted was stupid! Bob this isn't about you! This is my life, and I love baseball!"

"That's it, Olga! I told you this would happen! I'm pulling you out of your high school!"

Helga latched her left hand around her bat, just incase. "MY NAME IS HELGA, Bob! And I won't do it. I won't leave baseball or my school!"

"Listen to me, missy! Get off the team or out of the school!"

"No!"

Bob grabbed her right arm, squeezing tightly, "Get off the team!"

"No!" she screamed again before whipping the bat out of the bag and smacking Bob's arm. He released her immediately.

"GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY HOUSE YOU GOOD FOR NOTHING-!" Bob's voice faded as he went into the kitchen to ice his bruised arm.

Helga didn't even go to her room, instead she grabbed her backpack, baseball bag and slammed the front door. Helga didn't know where to go. The most logical choice was Phoebe's. She began heading that way, until she remembered she was redecorating her house and was staying in a hotel room with her parents.

She wasn't friends with any other girls. She only had the baseball team. _"You have seventeen guys supporting your decision"_ echoed in her brain. Could she go to another guys house?

Her second instinct was to go to Arnold. But that would be weird. They were dating now. They'd only been together for a few weeks. Living together, even though she would have her own room, would probably feel like suffocation. Helga didn't want to lose Arnold because they were tired of each other. She loved him, she truly did, but she couldn't imagine living with him and all of the boarders. . .

Helga began wandering the neighborhood streets of Hillwood through a mist of tears. She was homeless. She collapsed against a random stoop, head in her hands.

"Helga?"

"What?" she snapped.

Gerald took a step back. "Why are you on my doorstep?" Helga picked up her bags and began walking away. "What's wrong, Helga?"

"Nothing, Gerald."

"Unless I've gone crazy in the last few hours, sitting on a random doorstep crying means something's wrong."

"My dad kicked me out."

"Oh, my God. That's awful." Helga nodded. "Because of baseball?"

"Yeah, stupid Franklin High's coach called me to congratulate me and Bob answered the phone."

"I'm sorry, Helga."

Helga was quiet for a moment, before turning to him, "Gerald, you have to help me."

He laughed, "Why would I ever help you?" He had to admit that it was mean of him, but it was _Helga G. Pataki_!

"Because I'm your best friends girlfriend? Because I'm your teammate? Because we've known each other since we were three? Any of these reasons good enough for you?"

"Helga, you've managed to make my life miserable by bullying me. And when you picked on Arnold, I'd have to be the one to make him feel better. You tortured both of us." Gerald sat down on his stoop, one step below her.

"I know. I picked on everyone."

"But Arnold got all the special treatment, right?"

"I had a reason, Gerald. Okay?" She put her head back in her hands.

"Which was. . .?"

Helga bit her lip. Only three people knew: Phoebe, Dr. Bliss, and Arnold. Granted, Arnold probably forgot what she had specifically said. I mean, her confession was a big surprise, and extremely dramatic, and happened in fourth grade. "I. . .can't say."

"Oh, then I guess I'll just ask Phoebe," Gerald smirked as he pulled out his cell phone. Helga didn't respond to his threat. Gerald dropped his phone back into his pocket. "Well, how am I going to help you if I don't know the reason why you hate me?"

"I don't hate you, Gerald. I've never really hated anyone. I was just angry to hide my feelings."

"Feelings? You mean you actually know other emotions besides anger?"

"I was just_ crying_, Gerald. Okay? I'm still a person!"

Gerald chuckled, "Sometimes I find it hard to believe."

Helga sent Gerald a quick glare. "I'm being serious. Gerald, I need help! I'm homeless!"

"I'll only help you if you tell me why you picked on Arnold and I."

"Oh, fuck it," she muttered to herself, "I picked on everyone. I was using my anger to hide the fact that I liked someone. It happened in pre-school, when everyone laughed at me. I just snapped after that."

Gerald nodded, wanting to hear more about her liking someone.

Helga stood up and began pacing. She could feel her voice rising, "I mean. . . every since we were three I've been madly, passionately, hopelessly in love with Arnold! He's the only one who's ever noticed me. I was seriously crazy about him. I had a locket, a shrine and I wrote all of those poems about him in that pink book."

Gerald started laughing. "A shrine? A locket? You weren't in love with him, you were _obsessed_!"

Helga rolled her shoulders back, trying to ignore the fact he was laughing at her. "Yeah, yeah I know. And then when I told him, I don't know, things got weird."

"Wait, wait, _wait. _You told him you loved him? When?"

"When you guys saved the neighborhood, back in fourth grade."

Gerald thought for a second, "So, that's what happened on the roof!"

"Yeah, Arnold trapped me in a corner and it all just slipped out. And then I kissed him and -"

"You _kissed _him?"

"Yeah, and then he was so surprised he couldn't speak, but then we had to go save the neighborhood. And then after I just sorta took it all back, saying it was in the heat of the moment."

"So, you lied to keep things from being awkward?"

"Yeah, and I kept on picking on you guys. Everything went back to normal."

"But you've loved him? This whole time?"

Helga pursed her lips, then nodded, "Yeah, pretty much."

"Wow."

Helga returned to the stoop, holding her backpack in her hands. She felt slightly more relaxed now, but still torn up about her family issues.

"I guess it makes sense," Gerald mused, "that you picked on him so much. I mean, you really took it all out on him. It's a classic defense mechanism, I guess."

"You've been spending too much time with Phoebe, Geraldo," Helga laughed.

"So, now that you and Arnold are secretly dating, you keep picking on him to hide it, right?"

"Yeah. We're right back where we started."

"And you pick on me because. . . ?"

"You still tick me off," Helga flashed a sweet smile. "But I promised Arnold I'd be nicer to you."

"Wouldn't that make Phoebe suspicious?"

"I'll still be mean to you in biology, but other than that, I'll keep it cool. We're teammates."

"Alright, Helga."

The two fell silent. Helga wasn't really sure what to say. She had just confessed her biggest secret to her boyfriend's best friend. Arnold obviously hadn't told him anything, so now it was slightly awkward.

Gerald finally broke the silence, "I take it I'm your last resort, then."

Helga was confused for a moment, until she remembered she was homeless. "Phoebe's redoing her house and I can't live with Arnold. I mean, I just started dating him. Could you imagine living with Phoebe?"

"No. I love her and everything, but. . . "

"Exactly. So I'm stuck. Diedrek said that if my dad ever gave him problems, I could count on the team. So I have fifteen guys left to go to, excluding you and Arnold."

"Why can't you find another girl to live with?"

"When's the last time you've seen me hang out with a girl beside Phoebe?"

"Good point," Gerald nodded.

Helga laughed dryly. "I gotta call Diedrek. Can I borrow your phone?" Gerald handed over his cell phone and smiled as she stood up and walked away. She let it ring four times before panicking. If he couldn't help her, what could she do? "Hello?"

She released a sigh of relief, "Hey, Coach. It's Helga."

"What's wrong?"

"My dad found out about me being back on the team. Coach Anderson called and Bob answered."

"Did he hit you?"

"No he grabbed my arm and I hit him with my baseball bat."

Diedrek laughed. "And then. . .", he guessed. "he kicked you out?"

"Yeah, so now I'm calling off Gerald's phone. I left mine back at Bob's house."

"So where are you gonna stay?"

"I don't know. I'll find some place for tonight, maybe at the school or the YMAA or something."

"You sure? Because I have an extra-"

"Thanks, Coach. But I'll be fine. Really. I just wanted to let you know what's happening."

"Okay. I'll see you on Monday after school. Rest your arm, okay?"

"Alright. Bye Diedrek." Helga handed the phone back to Gerald.

"Everything okay?" he asked.

"I still don't have a place to live."

"Your dad will calm down in a few hours."

"You obviously don't know my dad. Imagine me when I'm angry a thousand times over."

"Oh, geeez. That's rough." Gerald offered to let Helga spend the night in his sister's room. She was sleeping over at a friend's house, his parents were out, and Gerald would be gone until his curfew, so Helga would be home alone.

"Thanks, Gerald. This really means a lot to me," Helga smiled.

"I'm never going to be used to this nice thing," he laughed before leaving.

As soon as Diedrek hung up the phone, he began searching his house for the school's directory. He wanted to find Mr. Pataki and give him a piece of his mind.

Diedrek copied down the address and jumped into his car. He was slightly worried, unsure how Big Bob Pataki would react to a man telling him how to treat his daughter. Diedrek slowed his car down as he noticed a large moving truck in front of the house. "Oh, no!"

He quickly parked and stopped one of the workers, "Excuse me, what's going on here?"

The employee laughed, "We're moving this family to Boston. Go figure."

_Boston? _Diedrek thanked the man and shut his eyes. This wasn't happening. He wasn't losing his best player. He sat behind the wheel of his car, watching them move their entire house into the truck and their small car. He watched Helga's bed and furniture and box of pink notebooks be forced to fit in the bed. _Shit!_

"Excuse me, is this the Pataki residence?" Coach Diedrek smiled as Miram answered the door.

"Yeah, come on in," she replied before walking back to the couch.

"If you're selling something, go away!" Bob yelled from the upstairs.

"Hello, Mr. Pataki. I am Coach Diedrek. I coach your daughter."

"Ah, the baseball coach," Bob mused as he walked down the stairs. He crossed his arms over his chest and glared at the coach.

"Yes, Sir. I was just wondering. . . why I didn't see you at the game today? Helga was spectacular. She won the game for us, you know."

"I'm not supporting my daughter's decision to go behind my back and remain on the boy's baseball team! She's a girl! Baseball is for boys!" Bob raised his voice.

"Yes, Sir, I know. But your daughter is extremely talented."

Bob laughed. "She's not talented. Her older sister Olga is talented." Diedrek watched in awed silence as Bob went on to explain Olga's accomplishments, showing off her trophies and pictures.

"What about Helga?"

"What about her?"

"Don't you have anything she's done? An award or something?"

Bob began laughing, "She hasn't won anything. All she does is sit in her room."

"Well, she's an excellent player, Mr. Pataki. I think you should reconsider your move."

Bob was screaming at the top of his lungs now, "She disobeyed me! She went behind my back! I told her her options. She picked baseball. We're moving to Boston and she's switching schools and there's nothing you or anyone else can do about it! When you see my daughter, send her home! We're leaving soon! Good day, Coach!"

Bob pushed Diedrek out the door and slammed it in his face.

_Shit, shit, shit! _Diedrek called Gerald, "This isn't good, Gerald! You need to get Helga and rally up the team at the field. This. . . this is really bad." Gerald grabbed Phoebe and together the two called all of the players. No one knew what was going to happen.

**H-A!-H-A!**

"I'm _what_?" Helga cried incredulously.

"Your dad is forcing you to move to Boston ASAP."

"I'm not going! I'm not leaving this team!" Helga covered her eyes. She wasn't going to let herself cry in front of her team or Phoebe. Helga collapsed against the fence, ears ringing. This was unbelievable.

"They can't force her, can they?" Arnold asked.

"Since she's under eighteen, they can," Alex replied.

"I'm not going! I'm not!" Helga screamed again. Gerald hesitantly rested his hand on her shoulder, also allowing Arnold to rest his hand on her leg. Gerald could see the pain on Arnold's face. They'd both need major comfort later.

"Helga, I don't know what to do. Do you want to emancipate yourself from your parents and live with family?"

"I don't have any family! My stupid sister's off in Alaska! I have no where to go!"

"So you're just going to go to Boston and leave us?" Wolfgang asked.

"I don't have a choice, you guys! You know what my dad could do to me! I've already upset him twice. I don't get a third strike in his game."

"Helga," Arnold began.

Suddenly, everyone began yelling at her. Helga shut her eyes tightly and covered her ears. She slowly slid down the fence, cutting her back, but she was too numbed to care. Phoebe latched herself to her best friend, crying and hugging and whispering soothing things as she promised to always stay in touch, no matter what.

Diedrek blew his whistle and the group went silent. The silence continued until Helga looked up into Diedrek's eyes, "This team won't be the same without you, Pataki."

"I'm sorry, Coach. I'm sorry, everyone. I. . .I have to go," Helga shook her team's hands, hugged Phoebe as if her life depended on it, and forced her tears back down her throat.

"Come back and visit us, okay?" Phoebe smiled. Helga could only manage a weak nod.

"I'll drive you home," Arnold half-smiled as he picked up her baseball bag. Helga kept her eyes on the ground as she walked, clenching her fists around her backpack handles. The two rode back to Helga's house in silence. Arnold parked the car behind the moving van. Neither moved.

The sun began to set, almost ending this nightmare of a Saturday.

"So," Arnold squeaked out.

The tears began gushing. Helga became a complete wreck. She unbuckled her seat belt and fell across the car into Arnold's arms. She didn't care anymore. She was moving to Boston and would probably never be allowed back. She'd lose baseball, Phoebe, her teammates and her true love, Arnold.

Arnold refused to let her go. He didn't want to lose her. He _couldn't_. He cared about her too much. He physically couldn't imagine standing without her. There was no one else on this entire planet that could make his heart race simply by smiling or another girl who could send chills up his spine by the mere mention of her name. There was no one else he wanted to hold or hug or kiss. There was no other girl as strong as Helga. He'd never even heard of a girl who could pitch like she could. They'd only been together for a month or so, but he'd never felt anything like this before. He never had constant butterflies or sweaty palms with any other girl. He'd never been with someone as complicated as Helga, the angel within a devil. He had never cared about someone so much, good mood or bad mood. He accepted her anger and dysfunctional family. He comforted her when she fought with Bob. He accepted the fact that she got angry over the little things. He loved how he always had to fight to stay calm whenever she looked at him. He loved how she could keep him up all night, simply staring into space, constantly wondering about her. His heart ached when she wasn't near. He felt like a different, even better, person when she was near him. He felt empowered, like he could do anything, from a simple touch of her hand. _He loved her and would never let her go._

It had always been Helga. Every nice thing she had ever done, every nice moment they had together, had him slowly falling for her: their search for the perfect Thanksgiving together. . .being in Coach Wittenburg's wedding together. . . working out their differences in the Biosphere. . .the end to his insane dream about being married to her. . .trying to warn him about the evil girl who used him, Summer. . . every time they kissed. . .helping him save the neighborhood by acting as Deep Voice. . .helping him deal with not being able to find his parents. . . From day one, under the umbrella. . .to now, holding her in the Packard, he had loved Helga. It just took him thirteen years to realize it.

Arnold tightened his grip around her as Helga buried her head deeper into his shoulder. He could feel his shirt stained with her tears. It felt like his heart was slowly stopping. He couldn't stand the idea of letting her go.

His heart was shattered as Helga slowly slid out of his arms, "I love you, Arnold. I always have. Everything I said in fourth grade was true. I don't know what I'm going to do without you." She wiped away a few stray tears.

"Helga, you can't leave," Arnold held her hand. He found himself choking back tears, "I love you, too. I've always loved you. Ever since I first saw you at preschool, and I offered you my umbrella. I know it seems like I'm just saying it, but I mean it. I love you." The two kissed with so much intensity, it seemed like the world was going to stop spinning if they let go.

Helga never imagined anything like this. She had always hoped that when Arnold told her he loved her, she'd be able to stay with him forever.

The love birds only separated because Bob smacked his hand against the car window. Helga wrapped her arms around Arnold's neck and hugged him tightly. Helga took one last look back at him as she shut his car door.

She tried to force herself to stop crying, but it was no use. As Bob forced her into the back of the car, she looked back to see Arnold waving. Once the door slammed, Helga told herself not to look back.

Her life was over.

Arnold didn't care about his reputation at the moment. He sat behind the wheel of the Packard, bawling his eyes out. The girl he loved was on her way across the country to a new city and he couldn't do anything without endangering her. He saw the way Bob held her right arm. Bob wasn't going to be changing his mind any time soon. Arnold didn't know how long he was sitting in the car. He didn't care. He was numb now.


	6. Bad Influences Cause Good Decisions

**Love Is Like A Baseball Bat**

_Chapter Six: Bad Influences Cause Good Decisions_

Boston. The City of History. The City of Colleges. The City of Hell for Helga. Bob, Helga and Miram had flown to Boston and made it to their new apartment just a little after midnight. Their furniture had arrived shortly after, but it still took them a while. Helga wasn't used to the bitter cold of Boston's November midnight air. She was freezing and all she really wanted was to talk to Arnold. It was surreal to think that she was in Hillwood just a few hours ago, saying goodbye. Tears threatened to fall again, but she stopped for fear of them freezing to her cheeks.

As soon as the movers set up her room, Helga shut her door and locked it. She didn't want to leave her room. It was the only thing remotely close to her real home. She collapsed against her bed and pulled out her cell phone. _Please, be awake, _she begged as she dialed Arnold's number.

"Hello?"

Her mind froze for a moment. He sounded so tired. "Sorry, did I wake you?"

Arnold found it hard to speak. Hearing her voice sound so far away made him ache. "No. How are you?"

"Terrible," she rolled over onto her side. "It's cold and snowy and too far away. I'm sorry this happened."

"Helga, it's not your fault. You shouldn't feel bad for standing up for yourself and doing what you love."

"Why are you so damn optimistic?"

"I have to be," Arnold replied.

Helga softened her voice, "No, Arnold, you don't. It's okay to be upset and pessimistic once and a while. No one's going to blame you for being upset."

Arnold was quiet for a minute before sighing, "You're right. I'm not going to sit here and pretend that everything is okay. Nothing is okay. Everything fucking sucks."

Helga was surprised that Arnold cursed. She couldn't help but laugh. "I'm sorry, but that was just too funny. Since when do you cuss?" It was unlike Mr. Polite.

"Since I started dating you," he smiled as he held his phone.

"Ah, I love being a bad influence," she laughed.

Arnold laughed, "I love that your a bad influence."

"Well, someone has to be. You're Mr. Goody-Two-Shoes. You gotta learn to be bad once and a while."

"I am bad," he protested.

"Oh, please! Name one other time you've done something wrong."

"In fourth grade, Gerald and I played hooky. Of course, we skipped on the best day ever, but still."

"You ditched school? Seriously, that's the worst thing you've done?" Helga laughed before shaking her head, "Arnold, Arnold, Arnold, you're so lucky you have me in your life."

"I know I am. I'm lucky to have fallen in love with someone as amazing as you."

Helga always loved how sweet Arnold would be, when it was just the two of them on the phone. It had always been the one part of her day she couldn't wait for. Her nighttime phone conversations with Arnold always had her thinking, _Awww. _But tonight, all she could think was, _Damn you, Bob! You ruined my life!_

_"I love you, Arnold."_

Arnold stumbled into the kitchen. 'Rough' couldn't even begin to describe his night. Helga and Arnold talked until she fell asleep, around four a.m. It was nice to hear her voice, but it just kept reminding him that she wasn't a few blocks away anymore. She was in Boston. And he couldn't sleep, either. He continued to wonder about her in the big city, toying with her pink ribbon.

Arnold was forced out of bed by his grandparents at eight a.m. and now he was sitting at the kitchen table, staring at five local newspapers sports sections. They were tied together in a stack with a note from Phoebe: "Read please!"

All of them were about GW baseball team's first win in five years. Most said how it wasn't really a big deal, but it was a big deal to have a girl be the star player and pitcher.

Arnold stared at the images. The first was a picture of the team holding Helga on their shoulders, cheering. Arnold smiled as he looked to the next one, the team in a group hug. Third was the perfect capture of confusion on the other team's faces. The fourth was a picture of Helga pitching. Arnold noticed the intensity and determination on her face. He quickly turned the page away, heart breaking. He had to stop thinking about her. _Finally, the last newspaper, _he thought as he picked up the page. Tears rushed back to his eyes as he shut them and tried to think about something else, _anything _else.

The picture was of Arnold and Helga kissing, just as the Gatorade came pouring out of the container. The drink was frozen in mid air, just above their heads. The headline read: Celebration Done Right. Arnold looked at the newspaper, only to feel his heart stop. It was the _George Washington Post, _the high school's newspaper. _How did I get this one day early? _he wondered. Arnold recalled that Phoebe was on the newspaper. She must've printed it early so Arnold could see it and think of an explanation for Deidrek and Alex.

Arnold took the newspapers and returned to his room. He cut out the pictures and put them next to Helga's bow. Arnold didn't come out of his room until six a.m. the following day.

"Want some breakfast, Short Man?" Grandpa asked as Arnold slammed his head into the table.

"No."

"Alright, Short Man, I'll bite. What's wrong? You haven't talked to anyone in two days."

Arnold was quiet for a minute, simply staring at his hands under the table. "She's gone, Grandpa."

"Who?"

Arnold's head shot up. "Helga! Bob forced her to move to Boston on Saturday."

"Oh, your little girlfriend. Why did she move?"

"Because Bob's an ass."

"Yes, he is," Grandpa laughed. "So, are you gonna try and get her back?"

"I want to. I just don't know what to do."

"Did I hear a plan for battle?" Grandma stepped into the kitchen, wearing an old army commander's uniform.

"No, Pookie. We're working on one," Grandpa laughed.

"Listen up soldiers," she continued, "you gotta strike by surprise. Take the enemy when they're vulnerable and caught off guard! Then you hit them with the biggest explosion you got! Hit all fronts! Wipe 'em all out in one swift motion!" she slashed her hands across the counter, sending plates and breakfast flying.

"Oh, Pookie!" Grandpa exclaimed. Arnold laughed as he cleaned up the floor. "Now, go command the troops into the kitchen for breakfast."

Gertie winked as she saluted Phil and marched up the stairs, "Hut, two. . three. . .four! Left, left, left, right, left!"

Arnold skipped breakfast and walked to school.

_What am I doing here? _Arnold thought angrily as he stared at Helga's empty chair in biology. _I have to do something. _Arnold grabbed his backpack and stood up, walking out of the class. Gerald, Phoebe and their teacher all tried to stop him, but he refused to listen.

Arnold went out towards the baseball field, determined to find Diedrek. The team was smart, they could think of something to get her back. And if they didn't, Arnold would walk to Boston and drag her back. He couldn't just stand by idly like everyone else. He had waited long enough. The girl he loved was forced to move against her will. That was reason enough to start a riot, in his opinion.

"So, what's your plan, man?"

Arnold smiled as Gerald walked up next to him. The rest of the junior boys on the team were close behind. "I don't know, but I'll think of something."

Diedrek smiled as he stepped out onto the field, meeting the boys halfway. Alex held the school's newspaper in his hands, shaking his head back and forth. He was right, they were together.

"Alright, I know why you're here. Question is, what can we do?"

"It can't put Helga in danger," Arnold said, "so Bob can't find out. We have to come up with a plan that could get her back here without angering the beast."

The team fell to the grass, staring at each other as they tried to think of something. Thad had suggesting freeing the animals at the zoo. Everyone knew he could do it if he wanted, but it really was no help to their situation.

"Can't we try reasoning with Bob?" Ed asked.

"Bob's not a reasonable person, boys," Diedrek laughed. "I tried to talk to him about Helga and he just kept calling her Olga and laughing. That man is crazy."

Arnold clenched his fists. "She can't stay with them!"

"She doesn't want to emancipate herself. If she did, she'd be sent to a foster home. Even then, there would be no guarantee she'd stay in Hillwood."

"We can't just let her go, Coach. Who knows, maybe some high school team in Boston takes her as a player? She's too important for this team to lose," Wolfgang spoke slowly.

"I know, I know. But she could get seriously hurt by this. Either we let her go and move on or. . ." Diedrek's voice trailed off as he realized there was no other option.

"I'm not doing that, Coach," Arnold's voice was sharp, cutting through the silence like daggers. "I'm not letting her go."

"Arnold, there's nothing we can do," Alex lowered his voice as he saw Arnold drop back to the grass. Arnold was now staring at the sky, watching the clouds float by.

"There has to be something," Gerald tried.

"Unless we get Bob to change his mind, there's nothing."

"I'm not giving up on this. I saved the neighborhood once, and I'll save Helga too," Arnold rose to his feet and walked off the field.

Everyone followed behind.

**H-A!-H-A!**

Helga wouldn't start school at Paul Revere High until next week. She had seven days to kill in her misery. She spent all Sunday in her bedroom, writing poetry and talking to Phoebe and Arnold. She wanted to get out, even though she had no where to go.

In an act of desperation on Monday, she stole fifty bucks from Bob's wallet and began walking around Boston. The city was so busy, even in the beginning of a bitter winter. She wandered around downtown aimlessly.

As she walked, she could hear TVs in sports bars announcing baseball scores. Drunken men were cheering wildly for their local team as the pitcher struck out the batter.

Helga knew where she wanted to go.

The regular Major League Baseball season was over now, it ended in October. Now it was time for the World Series games. There was one game left and Helga couldn't believe the mass hysteria over the teams. An ancient rivalry, Boston Red Sox vs. New York Yankees, would fight to the bitter end.

Helga stepped off the bus and onto the sidewalk outside Fenway Park, watching the flashes of red and white and blue and gray slowly disappear. She could hear a weird horn being blown, it sounded familiar but unlike any American invention. **(A/N: Vuvuzela's FTW.) **Whoever was blowing the horn got into a competition with another person and the sound made Helga's ears want to bleed. _Shut up! _she thought angrily as she pushed her way through the crowds.

She just wanted to see the stadium, the field, the pitcher's mound. She wanted to feel something familiar in this crazy place. Helga found the delivery entrance and snuck in. Even though the afternoon's game was over, people would probably still hang around.

She snuck into the lowest level of seats, so close to the field she could almost taste the clay. No one else was around, but she knew security guards had cameras on the field. Helga took a look around, didn't see a soul, then jumped down into the field.

What she was doing was illegal and could probably get her stuck in Juvenile Hall and Bob would get sued. She smiled at the thought, it only encouraged her to run out to the pitcher's mound. She took a quick look around, slowly spinning in a circle, looking at all of the empty seats. It was almost a dream come true for Helga. She had always wanted people to see her play baseball, and standing in the center at Fenway Park was one of the best moments in her life. She inhaled deeply, the scent of fresh cut grass, clay, sweat and chalk comforted her.

Sitting next to the plate was a ball. Helga took a quick glance around before picking it up. She waited a second. No one was calling after her or chasing her. She quickly stretched, building up her anger. She forced herself not to yell as she wound up the ball. She didn't want any unwanted attention drawn to her. She brought her leg up, stretched her arm back, enjoyed the sheer pain ripping through her right arm, and threw the ball.

"Hey!" a voice called out to her as the ball smashed into the net. Helga turned around, but couldn't see anyone. Helga quickly ran towards the dugout, ready to burst into random hallway and ditch her pursuer. "Wait!" the voice called again. Helga stopped running. "Do that again."

"You want me to pitch?"

"Yeah," the voice called. Helga picked up the ball and returned to the mound. She pitched once more and smiled as the random person applauded. "So, how old are you?"

"Old enough to kick your ass," she replied.

The boy laughed, jumping down onto the field. He looked extremely familiar. Helga could've sworn he was Alex's identical twin.

"I'm Andrew."

"Great," she replied, rolling her eyes. She continued to toss the ball back and forth in her hands, trying to warm up again.

"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in school?" he asked.

"It's not your business, Andrew."

"Ditched?"

Helga threw the ball back to the dirt and stepped off the mound. "No! I start school next week. I just moved here on Saturday, okay? I hate it here and just want to go home."

"Which is where?"

"Hillwood. It's a city in the middle of-"

"Oh, my brother lives there."

Helga laughed. "What's your brothers name?"

"Alex."

_So I was right, _she thought. "Why hasn't he mentioned you?"

"We had a pretty big fight after high school. He went on a road trip, called to say he moved to Hillwood, and that's the last I've heard from him. It's almost been two years."

"So, he's from Boston?"

"Yeah, born and raised here. I work here at Fenway, cleaning up and serving peanuts. Not very glamorous, but I get to be at the games." Andrew looked at his watch. "It's getting pretty late. Are your parents worried about you?"

Helga shook her head. "Nope."

"Come on, let me buy you dinner. You look like you could use some food."

Helga was about to protest, but Andrew dropped to his knees. She rolled her eyes, "You and Alex are pieces of work."

Andrew brought Helga to the Purple Shamrock, a local pub across the street from the Faneuil Hall Marketplace. The two sat at a high table by the frosted over window and talked. Helga asked questions about Alex, hoping to find something to use against him later.

"Alex has never been good with girls," Andrew laughed. "Always hated me because I got the dates. He was a pretty persistent kid, but never got a date for anything."

"So that explains a lot," Helga mumbled before laughing. "Alex gave a whole big spiel about the fact we shouldn't date while playing baseball because it was 'distracting'. It didn't stop me."

"Oh, you rebel. Going against the assistant coach," Andrew laughed.

"Yeah," Helga brought her eyes towards the ground.

"Obviously you weren't too excited about this move," Andrew tried to continue their conversation, "did you leave a lot of friends behind?"

"I have one best friend, and then my fifteen teammates and Alex and Diedrek. And my boyfriend. It was hard to say goodbye to everyone."

"Why can't you go back?"

"My dad would be infuriated and would get violent. I'm not risking my life just so I can fail to get home."

"Oh, wow."

Helga simply nodded.

A week passed. Helga started school. She hated it. The Hillwood Jays won their travel game because Arnold threw himself into the sport, taking Helga's place as pitcher. He wasn't as fast as she was, but he could strike out a lot of kids. He practiced before school, during school and after school until late at night. Diedrek tried to force him to stop, but he wouldn't quit. He needed a distraction to keep him off the fact he couldn't save Helga. More time passed. It was December now, snow was falling everywhere and Helga still hated Boston and her family. Miram got a job and started going to AA Meetings, giving Helga a slim chance of hope, but it wasn't much. Helga became close with Andrew and the two would sneak into Fenway to play baseball together in the early morning hours of the weekend. Helga kept in touch with Arnold, talking with him every day at lunch, and talked with Phoebe after school. Christmas came and went. New Year's passed uneventfully.

January seemed to be going by slowly. It was only the third day. Arnold was pitching to Diedrek after school while the boys practiced swinging. He found his anger growing with each toss. He hated that he couldn't help her. Hated that she was far away. Hated the fact that her father was an ass. He hated everything about this new year.

"Alright boys, I have an announcement," Alex rallied up the boys. Arnold refused to stop. "My twin brother, Andrew, contacted me this holiday season."

"Oh, now you don't have any brother issues anymore? Good job, Alex!" Wolfgang teased.

"That's not what's important! What's important is the fact that he, somehow, found Helga."

Arnold stopped pitching. "What?"

"She plays baseball with him on the weekends. He said their sort-of friends."

"And?" Wolfgang asked.

"And he says he's figured out a way to get Helga back to us."

Arnold's heart skipped a beat. "Seriously?"

"Yeah, he said he's been kissing up to Bob, making him warm up to him and trust him. He said he's been giving his electronic company free advertising at Fenway. He said he almost has Bob wrapped around his finger. He's been bringing Bob tons of money, and that's all Bob cares about. A few more weeks of ass kissing, Andrew says he could convince him to move back here."

"Oh, my God! That's incredible!"

"Yeah, but he says he needs our help." Alex continued to give the boy's details of Andrew's well thought out plan. It was too perfect. Alex knew Andrew would be initiating the plan today.

"Ah, Andrew my boy!" Bob threw his arms open wide and smiled as Andrew stepped into the Pataki's apartment.

"Hello, Mr. Pataki."

"I've told you before, call me Bob."

Andrew nodded, "Alright Bob. Well, I'm here to discuss your strategy for the Fenway Park Donations Dinner. Since you're a 'large donator'," he held up air quotes and the two laughed, "you get to sit at the head table with all of the other donating company big shots."

"Okay. So do I need to write a speech?"

"Yes, you'll be asked to say a few words. Just trust me. I'll write the whole speech for you, all you have to do is show up. The dinner is next Saturday at the Clock Tower Hilton. Your whole family is invited."

"Thanks, Andrew."

"Now I gotta get going. You better get back to selling electronics, Bob!" The two laughed as Andrew left the apartment.

The wheels were set in motion. Operation Rescue Helga was a go.

**H-A!-H-A!**

_"Help me, Arnold! Save me," her voice echoed through the cold, dark hallways. Arnold didn't know where he was, he could only see a small square of light shining at the end of the hallway._

_He began running towards it, hoping that he'd be able to rescue her. He continued to run, faster and faster, but the hallway was never ending. He suddenly heard a low growl. Arnold turned around, only to see Mr. Pataki chasing after him. Arnold tried to run faster but his legs wouldn't listen to his mind._

_Arnold finally began moving, he was so close to the door. He could feel the light warm his skin as he reached out and latched onto the door._

_He threw it open, only to discover that it was empty. Nothing but a white room. He tried to shut the door and turn around, but the floor caved in. He was falling through darkness, a never ending pit. "Save me" echoed through the abyss._

Arnold threw his body forwards as he woke out of his dream. Gerald looked up from his seat on the bus, "You okay?"

"Nightmare," he whispered.

The entire baseball team was loaded up onto a very nice travel bus with air conditioning and comfortable seats. Each of the boys spread out in their own two chairs, some sleeping while others sat listening to music or watching movies. Alex and Diedrek took turns driving.

The team was on their way to Boston, "for a travel game". It was the following Friday night, and the boys were one day away from the biggest night in Mr. Pataki's life. If one thing went wrong with their plan, they'd be ruined.

Andrew had told Helga the plan. She was all for it and ready to help. She would play it cool around Bob, slowly setting traps as the days came close. She started putting hints in his head like, "I hope your speech goes well. I mean, you haven't even read it yet", or "Don't choke".

Andrew worked extremely hard on the speech, making it seem like it was written by a professional. He had promised Bob an award winning speech, "Too bad I never told him which award he'd win," Andrew laughed as he handed the speech to Helga.

She read it, impressed with Andrew's work, "This is amazing. This will definitely work."

"I just have to type it up into the teleprompter at the hotel and we'll have no problem."

Saturday night couldn't come fast enough.

Early Saturday morning, Andrew ordered Bob and Miram off to a spa at the hotel in order to get ready for the long night ahead. He swore he'd watched Helga and have her at the party in time. In reality, he wanted the adults away so the boys could have a place to finalize the details.

Helga could hardly wait. She hadn't seen Arnold in two months and it drove her crazy! She was too excited to even sit, she couldn't even breathe!

At noon, the boys showed up at Helga's door. Andrew quickly hugged his brother, waving the guys in quickly. Once the boys were all in, Andrew checked the hallway, then shut the door.

Arnold had a smile on his face a mile wide. He was actually in Boston! He was in his girlfriend's apartment! Arnold looked around, only to hear a door open behind him. Arnold turned around only to see a quick flash of blonde before he felt her lips pressed against his.

_Two months too long, _Arnold thought as he kissed her deeply.

"Aw, it's so cute in a totally disgusting way," Wolfgang's voice pulled the two off of each other. Arnold kept his arm wrapped around her waist as they walked back towards the team. Their secret didn't matter now. It was the last thing on either of their minds.

"Alright, here's the hotel ballroom," Andrew unfolded a detailed blueprint onto Helga's kitchen table. It showed each table and each person who would sit there. Andrew had marked red X's across the page, marking where each person should stand. "And this is what we're gonna do. . . " Andrew and Alex went over the plan in excruciating detail. Twice.

The plan was so absolutely insane, so certifiably ludicrous, that it had a chance of working.

"We can do this. We're fifteen strong kids and Thad," Wolfgang laughed.

"Hey!" Thad protested.

"Alright. I hope you guys remember the plan. If this doesn't work, we'll either all be killed, arrested or both," Andrew tried to laugh.

The team was divided into two: Alpha and Omega. Helga, Arnold, Wolfgang, Iggy, Torvald, and three sophomores were Alpha. Gerald, Lorenzo, Thad, Edmund, Ludwig, and the last three sophomores were Omega. The teams could've gone without the crazy nicknames, but Alex insisted on making the entire ordeal seem legitimate, "like a C.I.A mission or something," he said.

Diedrek, Alex and Team Omega left the apartment at four and headed towards the Clock Tower Mariot. The boys would go in under cover as waiters and ushers for the dinner. Diedrek and Alex would dress as security to keep party crashers out of the ballroom.

Andrew kept the guys occupied in the living room as Helga showered and readied for the party. She had to sit up at the front of the room with Bob and Miram. For the occasion, Andrew had a stylist pick out a dress for her. Ironically, it was similar to her Masquerade dress, only the dress didn't have ruffles and it reached the floor, completely covering her legs.

Alpha's outfits were less elegant: black sweatpants, black long sleeved t-shirts, black hats and black face paint. "You guys really don't need the face paint," Andrew added as Thad dumped both his hands into the jar and ran his fingers across his face. No one touched the mud mask after that. "Okay, does everyone have a synchronized watch?" The team nodded. "Alright, let's do this!"

Andrew piled the boys into the back of a catering van that was used at Fenway Park. He sent Helga and Arnold in the limo, trying to give them a few minutes alone before tonight really began. If things went wrong, it could be the last time they saw each other.

"This is definitely the worst thing I'll ever do," Arnold laughed.

"And surprisingly it wasn't from my influence," Helga smiled before wrapping herself around Arnold. She had missed him terribly. Arnold tightened his grip on her.

"I think you may have been a small part of the agreement."

"Oh, really? Just a small part?"

"Is the entire reason a small part?" He asked playfully.

Arnold's watched beeped. The limo was right on time. The limo pulled up to a red light just before the entrance of the hotel. Arnold kissed Helga quickly before stepping out into the dark winter night.

"Will he be back or should I continue on?" the limo driver asked.

"Continue. He won't be joining me tonight," Helga's voice shook.

"Alright, Miss Pataki."

The Clock Tower Mariot was actually a clock tower. The twenty fifth level was the entrance into the clock's inner workings. The hotel rooms were suites leading up the base of the tower. The lobby level lead into the surprisingly large ballrooms towards the back.

Helga first made eye contact with Diedrek and Alex at the door.

"Name?" Diedrek asked.

"Helga Pataki," she smiled.

Diedrek scanned the list, handed her a notecard and let her into the ballroom. Normally, the notecard would tell what table she was sitting at, but this notecard gave her a list of important signs and times to look for. As Helga pushed her way through the elegantly dressed crowd, she saw Gerald carrying trays of champagne to a table. Helga met his uninterested gaze and slipped her hair behind her ear: a sign that Arnold had gotten out of the limo. Gerald discreetly nodded then turned his attention to Lorenzo.

Helga made it to the table just in time. Bob would be the last speaker. Helga glanced at the clock, 8:12. It was going to be a long night.

_H-A!-H-A!_

Before Arnold's foot his the snowy sidewalk, he was running. He had to beat the limo. He made it to the tower at eight exactly. He was on time.

Arnold shut his eyes, trying to picture the way to go. He was trying hard not to panic as the blueprint appeared in his mind's eye. He had to turn left at the check in desk, bringing him to the stairs. He'd have to go up to the third level and take the elevator up to the twenty fifth floor.

8:12 and he was at the top. He quickly caught his breath and pressed himself up against the wall, staring at the spinning gears. He was comforted by the soft ticking. If he concentrated, he could hear the speaker's talking downstairs. He had to wait until 9:45 before returning to the ballroom.

_H-A!-H-A!_

Lorenzo took his cue from Gerald and rushed back into the kitchen. Ludwig was washing dishes in the sink. Thad pushed into the swinging door, barking orders to the chefs and Edmund was working the crowd. Everything was going smoothly. They were blending in and no one recognized them, but that wasn't their biggest concern.

"Take this to table five!" a chef barked at Lorenzo. He shut his eyes, recalling the floor plan. Table five was off to the far left of the ballroom, almost in the shadows. Lorzeno took the tray and made a semi-mad dash across the room. As he walked, he glanced at his watch: 9:31. Only four more minutes until Team Alpha went to work.

_H-A!-H-A!_

Helga found it hard to stay awake. The benefactor's speeches were dreadful. They all spoke in soft monotone voices, simply declaring that their donation helped the Red Sox and Fenway Park. B-o-r-i-n-g!

Helga glanced down at her card then scanned the crowd. Team Omega was all spread out across the floor, each one at the correct table. It was 9:35 p.m. Alpha was in position, too.

Go time.

Bob stepped up to the mike, smiling as he glanced at the prompter on the floor in front of him. "Unlike my fellow businessmen, I plan on keeping this speech short, sweet and to the point," a few people in the crowd laughed. "I'm Bob Pataki, owner of Big Bob's Electronics, and I moved to Boston early last November. I fell in love with Fenway Park and knew I had to do something to help." Helga rolled her eyes. Andrew was a genius.

"At first, my donations were small, only helping the merchandise. But as my weeks wore on, I found myself giving more and more. And as the New Year rolled in, I donated one million dollars." Lie. It was all a big fat lie. Bob smiled as the audience applauded. "Thank you. Anyways, I was asked by a C.E.O. the other day why I had so suddenly moved here, and I smiled and told him -"

"-That I am an aggressive, selfish father who forced his daughter to give up her dream of baseball to move to a city that only cared about the sport!" Arnold's voice echoed through the ballroom as the stepped from the shadows and into a spotlight. The entire room gasped as Team Alpha and Omega moved forwards. "Big Bob Pataki is a cheap liar! Don't believe a word of it! He hasn't donated squat!"

"That's not true!" Bob began to protest. Thad switched all of the lights on and the guys moved closer to the stage. Suddenly, it seemed that half of the boys appeared out of the shadows. They had snuck in through air ducts and back doors to make it to the dark shadows of the room. Diedrek, Alex and Andrew quickly followed behind.

"Yes, Bob, it is," Diedrek smirked as he stood on stage and took the mike. He pointed towards Wolfgang and Ludwig, who locked the ballroom doors. Boys were marked at every window and exit. Bob had no where to run.

Helga slowly rose to her feet.

"Did you know that this girl here pitches at an average of ninety-five miles per hour?" A few people in the crowd began to whisper, some laughing and others disagreeing. "And did you know that her father refused to let her play baseball because she was a girl?" A few audible gasps were heard.

Helga nodded as she stepped off the stage.

Bob didn't know what to do, what to say, or what to even think. He was shocked into a semi-comatose state.

"I want everyone to know just how bad a father Bob Pataki is!" Helga screamed. "He's loud, angry, mean and he forced me here against my will after winning a baseball game. It was our team's first win in five years!" Helga turned back towards her father, "You may think I'm a worthless daughter, Bob, but news flash, I'm not. Just because I don't let you boss me around and dictate every aspect of my life doesn't mean I can't do anything. I'm smart, talented and strong and I'm _done _taking your crap!" The boys cheered her on as the event's guests watched in silence. It was like a real life soap opera.

"My name is not Olga, Bob. And once you get that through your thick skull, you'll remove the wool over your eyes and realize that I'm an amazing baseball player. I'm so good that I impressed some of the Boston Red Sox players!" It was true. A few players saw her pitching on a security tape and told Andrew about it. "Do you hear me now, Bob? Are you listening to me?"

Bob nodded his head. "I can't believe you did this!"

"All to get your attention, Bob. If you would just listen to me -"

"I can't believe you embarrassed me like that!"

"_What_?" That wasn't the reaction she was supposed to get.

Bob clenched his jaw before taking Helga's right arm and pulling her across the floor. He wasn't hurting her, but it looked painful.

"Let her go!" the baseball team ran after them, trying to get Helga. The boys latched onto her left arm and began pulling. Bob wouldn't loosen his grip. Helga kicked and struggled. She wasn't going down without a fight. No one else dared to move.

"LET GO OF HER, BOB!"

Everyone in the room turned to see the owner of the voice, shocked at who screamed.


	7. On The Outside, Looking In

**Love Is Like A Baseball Bat**

_Chapter Seven: On The Outside, Looking In_

Miram crossed the floor, shaking slightly. She never yelled at anyone, let alone Bob. Everyone was just as surprised as she was. Half of the people that lived in Hillwood had never even heard her speak, let along scream. Miram marched over to Bob and took her daughter out of his hands. "I can't believe you!" she yelled again.

"What?" Bob crossed his arms over his chest and glared at his wife.

"I've sat by quietly for too long, Bob! You've only cared about one thing your entire life and that's money! Not me or Olga or Helga! All you want is money, and you know what? You're going to lose all of it in our divorce."

Helga's jaw dropped. Was this really happening? Was she finally free of Bob's evil clutches? Miram hugged Helga tightly before letting her go to her friends. Helga watched as Miram and Bob stepped off into a corner, in the midst of a heated argument.

"I'm actually surprised that this plan worked," Thad smiled.

"You got wild animals out of a zoo and _this _you can't believe?" Iggy laughed.

Arnold hugged Helga, smiling. _It worked. Helga's coming home!_

"Well, since our job is done, we better hit the road," Diedrek shook Helga's hand and rallied up the boys.

Arnold didn't want to go.

"Arnold, it's okay. I'll be home tomorrow, don't worry," Helga kissed him before sending him out the door.

Miram walked towards Helga, cheeks flushed and smiling. "Come on, let's go pack up our stuff. We're going back to Hillwood."

Helga hugged her mom tightly, "Thank you."

**H-A!-H-A!**

The divorce went smoothly. Bob, only after realizing his thousands of mistakes, let Miram take over Big Bob Electronics. Bob stayed in Boston, taking up a desk job punching numbers. Helga didn't want him in her life, so they didn't keep in touch.

Miram, now completely sober and running the new Pataki Electronics, became a better mother. It was like when Helga was in fourth grade, only Miram promised to not go crazy. Every night she'd come home for dinner and she'd talk with Helga. She would book her schedule with her, so Helga's school functions would be mixed in with meetings and phone calls. Helga's angry attitude changed. She had no one to be angry with anymore, so she figured she had no reason to keep being a bully.

Life was good.

Except for one thing.

Since Helga had transferred to Paul Revere High, then back to Hillwood, she wasn't allowed to play any sports until the following season. It was a stupid regulation used to prevent teams recruiting. Even though she told the committee she had lived in Hillwood her whole life, except for a few months, they simply told her "Rules are rules."

So Helga would still practice, teaching Arnold a few tricks, and went to every home game. The Hillwood Jays were actually doing well in their spring season, five wins and one loss.

"Come on you losers!" Helga yelled at practice. It was the last day of January and still freezing cold. "Run!" Alex laughed as Helga blew a whistle.

"I think we gave her too much control," Diedrek muttered.

"Well, would you rather be standing outside in the frigid winter or inside the heated gym, watching our team struggle?"

"We're awful," Diedrek laughed as Alex handed him a cup of hot coffee.

"Come on, guys! This isn't time to walk! We need to be ready for our next game! Outfield was really lagging at getting balls! Hurry up!" Helga put her hands on her hips, glaring at the boys as the ran up and down the baseline. She watched as her breath appeared in the air like smoke.

"Helga!" Gerald roared. "Why are you making us run in this cold?"

"You gotta get used to it! Now, who said you could stop?"

Gerald looked over towards Arnold as they jogged their last few sprints, "I _hate _your girlfriend." Arnold laughed and nodded, wiping the sweat off his forehead.

"Take a break, guys. You look exhausted."

"We've been running sprints for an hour. Of course we are!" Gerald yelled back at Helga.

"Alright boys, great warm up. Time to swing," Diedrek interrupted. Helga smiled and returned to the dug out.

"Yeah, I'm not cut out to be a coach. These wimps are embarrassing," Helga laughed as she stood next to Alex and watched the team.

"We seem to be doing fine, even though we're missing our star pitcher."

"Well, then I guess the guys aren't completely hopeless."

After practice, Arnold drove Helga home. The two had settled into a routine. Arnold would come over, shower and change, and the couple would do their homework and hang out. Miram would come home for dinner and Arnold would return to the boarding house.

February passed with more wins. For Valentine's Day, the team was on the road, but Arnold begged Diedrek to let Helga come along. Arnold and Helga spent the night together in Helga's hotel room. In the end, they won their game 4-1. Almost every weekend was another travel game for their District Championship, and the boys continued to keep up their winning streak. No one on the team had a life outside of baseball anymore.

Now Hillwood was in the running for the State Championship. Hillwood hadn't been in the running in almost fifty years! The Jays had to beat three more teams before qualifying. If they won all three exhibition games, they would move on to the semi-finals, playing one more team before making it to the finals. If they won, they'd be state champions! The games began in April, they had a little over a month to prepare.

Practices became even more intense than they had for their first winter game. Sometimes, they'd go as late as eleven at night. The weather was slowly warming up, but it still became freezing at night. The boys worked hard, completely forgetting about school. They'd sleep through classes and miss homework, and the teachers let them do it. Everyone in the school was excited and proud of their team.

Helga stopped coming to the Jays' practices. It only reminded her that she couldn't play. So, after taking Phoebe's advice, she started volunteering as a coach for elementary kids in late February. She'd go to Gerald Field after school and help eight boys and eight girls learn baseball.

It was Wednesday, Helga had only been coaching them for two days. It was a rough day volunteering. A few of the kids were misbehaving and since Helga was on her own, she found it hard to control them all. She spent half of the practice trying to pull kids off of each other.

There was only five minutes left until practice ended.

"No, Connie," she spoke sweetly, "you don't hit other kids with the bat. It's wrong." Connie was a ten year old, dark haired girl with big blue eyes and a sweet smile, but that girl was violent.

"So?" she shot back before winding up her swing again.

"Just, be careful, okay?" Helga turned around to help another kid, only to feel a sharp pain in her knee. She dropped to the dirt, glaring at Connie.

"You just hit me!"

"Yeah," she giggled before walking away.

"I don't think that was very nice," a deep voice said.

Helga turned up from examining her bruised knee, only to smile.

"Tough," Connie shot back.

"I think you should apologize," Arnold bent down to Connie's height and slowly took the bat from her hands.

"Why should I listen to you?"

"Because apologizing is the right thing to do, and you know it is, too."

Connie flashed Helga a fake smile, muttered 'Sorry', and walked off the field. All of the other kids parents showed up shortly after.

"Why did I think I could do this?" Helga stood up, only to teeter back and forth. _Man, that girl has a swing._

"Because you're a nice person and you love baseball," Arnold replied before picking her up bridal style and carrying her to the bench.

"These kids are going to kill me," she laughed. Arnold sat down beside her and Helga rested her head in his lap.

"You just have to reach them on some level."

"They're ten years old. They don't have any levels."

Arnold thought for a moment, "We should have the baseball team do something, you know, to get them really excited about the game."

"Do you think you guys will have time? I mean, you've been practicing like crazy. Speaking of which, why are you here now?"

"Phoebe told me that you started doing this. I said I wouldn't believe it until I saw it, so I ditched practice and watched you for the afternoon."

"Oh, you're going to have to pay for ditching. Diedrek's gonna kill you tomorrow!"

"I don't care. I haven't spent time with you in days."

Helga mumbled, "I know" before kissing him.

"Ew!"

Arnold and Helga turned their heads up to see Connie standing at the center of Gerald Field.

"I thought your parents came to pick you up," Helga called.

"Nope. They're coming at six. It's only five-thirty. And I forgot my stuff." Connie pointed to the other bench towards her bag. Helga lifted herself off the bench and limped over to meet Connie at the other bench.

"Do you want to call your parents?"

"No, I'm good. They're just working late. Usually my nanny comes, but I guess she forgot."

"Do you want a ride home?" Arnold asked.

"Heck no. I told you my parents are coming," she crossed her arms indignantly over her chest. Arnold and Helga sat on the bench beside Connie, waiting until her parents came.

But they never did.

It was eight-thirty when Connie fell asleep on the bench beside Helga. Arnold picked the little girl up and carried her to the Packard. Helga searched Connie's bag for an address, and the two dropped her home.

"Woah," Helga stared at the size of her house. It was a three story mini-mansion from the looks of it.

The nanny was frantic when she opened the door. "Oh, thank you!" she began crying as she took Connie into her arms. "I called everyone I could think of but no one had seen her. I was about to call the police."

"She was waiting at the baseball field for her parents. Are they home?" Helga asked as the nanny invited the two inside. Arnold and Helga admired the open foyer, noticing the golden chandeliers and gold trim on almost everything. There was a marble staircase leading to the upstairs. The nanny gently put Connie on the couch in the living room and lead the two into the gourmet kitchen to the left of the front door.

"Oh, no, they got stuck working at the office. This usually happens. Normally, Connie walks home after school. It must've slipped my mind that she started baseball. I'm Melinda, by the way."

Melinda was a short, slender woman in her late twenties, with dark skin and hazel eyes. She wore her black hair in a bun and had an apron tied around her waist, caked with flour.

"I'm Helga, I'm Connie's coach," Helga shook her hand.

"Arnold. Assistant coach," he shook Melinda's hand as well. Helga smiled at Arnold, trying not to laugh.

"You poor kids. You must've been waiting for hours with Connie. Here, let me fix you something. Come sit," Melinda pulled out two chairs at the dining room table before searching the fridge. Just as the two were about to protest, Melinda interrupted, "I made Connie's favorite spaghetti. Please, sit."

Melinda handed them both plates and smiled, sitting down at the head of the table. The wooden table was long, it could sit sixteen comfortably. Arnold and Helga felt slightly awkward being so far away from their host.

"So, how long have you worked for Connie's parents?" Helga asked.

"Ten years. I started when I was eighteen, when Mrs. Jenson was pregnant with Connie. I set up the nursery and cleaned the kitchen and cooked. It's been a nice job. I love Connie."

"Are her parents really busy?"

"Oh, yes. But Connie says it's okay, even though I know it really hurts her. She loves her parents, but they don't notice her."

"Oh, I know how she feels."

Melinda's face fell slightly, "Are your parents big workaholics?"

"My dad was. Mom drank a lot. Not the most nurturing environment growing up. But it's okay now. Parents are divorced and Mom's sober."

"That's good that everything is okay now. I always worry about Connie. She's always picking fights in school. I always feel bad for the poor boy she picks on."

Arnold and Helga exchanged a quick knowing glance. "Does she pick on anyone else?" Arnold asked.

"I guess, but no one's ever told me. Her teacher worries about her, that's why he recommended your baseball camp. He's trying to keep her out of trouble."

"Well, I can assure you I'll keep a close eye on her and make sure she behaves," Helga smiled.

The front door opened and shut quickly. A slender man in a gray business suit threw his briefcase onto the dining room table and began raiding the fridge. "Mr. Jenson," Melinda smiled before hurrying off the help him.

"Should we go?" Helga whispered. Arnold shrugged.

"Hello?" a quiet voice called.

Helga walked into the hallway to see Connie rubbing her eyes and yawning. "How did I get home?"

"You fell asleep at the field, so we drove you home. Melinda made you your favorite dinner. Your dad's in the kitchen now," Helga smiled and directed the half-asleep girl to the kitchen.

"Who's this?" Mr. Jenson pointed to Helga.

"That's Connie's baseball coach, Sir," Melinda replied as she picked Connie up off the floor.

"How much does your camp cost?"

"I'm a volunteer, Sir. It's free."

He nodded, "Good. Now what are you doing in my house?"

"We drove your daughter here after she fell asleep waiting for a ride at the baseball field."

Mr. Jenson lowered his dark eyes towards his briefcase and nodded again. "Alright. Thank you. Goodbye."

Helga turned on her heel, grabbed Arnold and left. "Well, I have a feeling Connie's going to need a lot of special coaching," Arnold smiled.

"Definitely."

**H-A!-H-A!**

"Where were you yesterday, Arnold?" Diedrek yelled.

Arnold shrugged, "I ditched, Coach."

"Do you not care about this team? Do you want to lose our chance at the State Championship? You're our pitcher!"

"I know, Coach. You see, Helga started volunteering with little kids, teaching them how to play baseball and I wanted to see how she was doing."

Diedrek began laughing as he pictured Helga coaching children, "Not well, I assume?"

"She's going to need all the help she can get. There's sixteen crazy ten year olds who don't listen to her."

"Sounds to me like you want the baseball team's help."

"Yes, actually. Just one practice with them, that's all it should take to keep them calm."

Diedrek contemplated the pros and cons. He couldn't think of anything seriously wrong with it besides missing a few hours of practice. "Alright, one day. We'll go Friday."

Arnold smiled brightly and turned away. Diedrek put his hand on his shoulder, "Since you ditched yesterday, you get to run. For the entire practice." Arnold nodded and began running. "The only reason you should stop is to vomit!" Diedrek yelled before warming up the rest of the team.

The practice continued as normal, some of the players even forgetting Arnold was under punishment. "Is anyone going to ditch practice again?" Alex asked the team as they all turned to watch Arnold vomit into the grass. Everyone shook their heads no.

It was _torture_. Running from 3:30 until 6:30 around the baseball field. Arnold only stopped twice and puke his guts out before running again. He wasn't running very fast at all, but he never really stopped moving. He was dehydrated and shaking. His body was stiff and he was drenched in sweat. He still felt sick.

"I hate you, Coach," Arnold panted as he collapsed onto the ground beside the dugout. His chest was rising and falling deeply, he couldn't catch a breath.

"All's fair in love and war, and this is war. Don't skip again and you'll be fine," Diedrek laughed as he and Alex poured the team's water onto Arnold. Alex tossed Arnold a water bottle and left the field. Arnold felt frozen to the ground as his body shook with every little movement. He wanted to take a drink, but his arms felt like lead.

"I think he's dead," Wolfgang said as the team left the locker room. The boys looked to see Arnold lying motionless in the grass. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure he is."

"Why did he ditch anyway?" Torvald asked.

"He wanted to spend the afternoon with Helga. In the end, he watched her coach some little kids," Gerald replied shaking his head.

"What a waste. If I ditched, I would do something meaningful."

"I mean, I can't really blame the guy. If anything, I give him props. He's signed his entire life over to the Devil of Baseball and he's madly in love with Helga. He knows he'll always have us, but he might not always have Helga." The team all stared at Thad. "But, I guess if he loves her, he'll always have her too."

"You never cease to amaze me, Curly," Gerald laughed as he walked back to the field. "You okay, man?"

"Kill me," Arnold gasped as he choked on air. His throat was burning and his lungs were on fire. Running in the cold was the worst thing to do.

"If I killed you, Helga would come at me with an axe. I'd like to live to see us win this championship," Gerald offered his best friend his hand.

Arnold tried to lift his arms up, but gave up. "I can't move."

"Damn, you really need help."

"You think?" After another minute on the ground, Arnold slowly pushed himself up, wincing in pain. "Dear God, this hurts."

"You ran for three hours straight. If it didn't hurt, I'd be worried." Arnold rested his back against the fence and pushed his hair back.

"Well, it was worth it."

"Yeah, Thad told us you'd think so. Come on, man, you need to clean up. You smell horrendous."

"Well, what else am I supposed to smell like after running and throwing up, a field of flowers?" Arnold laughed as Gerald helped him walk towards the locker room.

"I told you," Helga laughed on the other end of the phone. Somehow Arnold made it home clean, finally rid of his sweat and grime. He was still unbelievably sore. He pushed his homework aside and called Helga.

"Yeah, yeah. It still hurts to move."

"Wolfgang told me you puked all over the field twice."

Arnold dropped to his bed, "Why don't you try running for three hours straight and try not to throw up?"

"I'm sorry you have a weak stomach. I told you Diedrek was going to kill you! You should've just gone to practice."

"And miss you being nice to children? Never."

"I am nice to kids." Arnold laughed as Helga added, "Sometimes."

"Sometimes being the key word there. Connie knows you lie," Arnold laughed.

"That little girl. . . Seriously, I think she has it out for me! Today she whacked me in the stomach with three balls! My knee is still sore! I nominate you to be in charge of her tomorrow."

"Alright, fine. I'll talk to her and tell her about you in fourth grade."

"You wouldn't!"

"Oh, I would. She needs someone to relate to. I think I should start the discussion by telling her about your shrine to me."

"Arnold, I love you, but I swear to God I will kick you so hard that you won't be able to have kids!"

"Alright, alright, I won't tell her about the shrine."

"Thank you."

It was quiet for a second, until Arnold laughed, "Maybe I'll tell her about the poems."

"Arnold, do you want me to kill you?"

"No."

"Then stop talking."

"Okay, I can tell I'm no longer wanted in this conversation. Goodnight, Helga."

"I love you, Arnold."

"I love you, too, Helga." Arnold smiled as he hung up the phone. Tomorrow was going to be interesting.

"Alright guys, I have a surprise for you!" Helga clapped her hands to keep the kid's attention. "I brought a real baseball team for you guys to play with."

"Is it that lame high school team you play on?" Connie laughed.

"They're not lame, Connie, but yes, it's the high school team." Helga smiled at the other students, who all seemed excited. The Jays' walked out to the field in their uniforms.

"Did you know this field is named after me?" Gerald asked the kids.

The kids all exclaimed at the same time, "No way!" "That's so cool!" "Wow!" Gerald smiled.

"Thanks for agreeing to this, Diedrek," Helga smiled.

"I heard you could use help controlling the kids. And I figured I needed to be nice to balance out the fact that I forced Arnold to run for three hours straight." Arnold nodded from the bench. It still hurt to move. Diedrek laughed, "Well, Coach, would you like to do the honors?" He handed Helga a whistle. She blew it and all of the kids lined up.

"Alright guys, today a player on the high school team is going to teach you how to hit the ball off a tee. And once your hit is good, the boys will pitch to you. I don't care how you divide yourself."

The kids all ran to different Jay's players. Alex also got chosen to help by a little boy. Helga stood back with Diedrek watching their practice unfold.

Arnold worked with Connie. "Can you show me your swing?" Connie picked up the bat and swung the ball off the tee. "It's good, but I think you need to hold your elbow up higher." Connie did as she was told and swung through again. "Impressive."

"I like to hit. My older brother taught me how to."

"I didn't know you had a brother."

"Yeah, he's at college, but we're going to his graduation soon."

_Wow, big age difference, _Arnold thought as Connie went quiet. Arnold noticed she was looking at someone on the other side of the field. He saw the boy she was looking at, he was partnered with Gerald. Arnold tried to hide his smile. "You wanna hit a few more?"

"What?" she asked softly.

"Do you want to hit a few more baseballs?" Arnold repeated.

"Sure," she smiled.

Arnold sat on the ground a few steps behind Connie, watching her swing. She was pretty decent for a ten year old girl. When she ran out of balls, she turned back to Arnold. "Now what?"

"I don't know. Do you want me to pitch a few or do you want to take a break?"

"I want to take a break." Connie walked over towards the bench and pulled out a water bottle. Her eyes set on the boy. She took no notice to the fact Helga sat down beside her.

"You really like him, huh?"

"What?" Connie spit her water out.

"You like that boy. . ." she tried to recall his name, "Sam, right?"

"Is it obvious?"

"Nope. I know all about it, though. Bad parents. Bullying to hide your crush. We're a lot a like."

Connie looked up to Helga, wide eyed, "You picked on a boy to hide your feelings?"

Helga laughed, "You see the boy over there with the football shaped head?"

"Yeah," Connie nodded.

"I picked on him until a few months ago."

"But. . . I saw you guys kiss the other day."

"Yeah, he's my boyfriend now." Helga's heart skipped a beat. It still shocked her sometimes.

"Really?"

Helga nodded, smiling brightly. "I've noticed Sam look at you too. You should try to be nice to him."

"But everyone will laugh at me."

Helga nodded. "You shouldn't care what they think. If you like him, you should be nice to him. Being mean to him won't help." Connie began to think, "And if you need someone to be mean to, I know a few kids who could use a nice baseball bat to the legs."

Connie laughed. "Go play ball. I think everyone's gonna line up for a pitch," Helga pushed Connie towards home plate. She stood in line next to Sam and Helga watched as the two began talking to each other without any angry insults.

"It's weird," Arnold sat down beside Helga and took her hand, "to know what it's like. It's strange to see it actually happening, one step at at time."

"Yeah, it is." Helga laughed, "You would've realized it sooner, Football Head, if you weren't so dense."

Arnold was about to protest, but Alex interrupted him. "Alright, everyone line up! I'm gonna pitch it to you, then after everyone's hit, the _real_ baseball team will show you how it's done," Alex gently tossed the first pitch underhanded.

Their first State Championship Qualifying Game was only three weeks away.


	8. It's A Love Filled Disaster

**Love Is Like A Baseball Bat**

_Chapter Eight: It's A Love Filled Disaster_

Three weeks flew by and in a matter of no time the team was loading up their bus at four a.m. on the first day in April. They were waiting in the school's parking lot while Wolfgang loaded up the last of the bags.

"All set," he called as he slammed the door shut.

"Great, lets get moving!" Alex smiled as he took the wheel.

Arnold quickly texted Helga, hoping he didn't wake her up, and quickly sat in his seat. All of the boys returned to sleep, trying to rest up for their busy week of winning ahead.

**H-A!-H-A!**

Helga hated Mondays. She always had, but she was determined to make today was going to be the best day ever. She quickly crossed the room to her cell phone: 3 New Messages.

**Sent 4:02 AM: Arnold (1 of 3) : **Sorry if this wakes you up. Happy April Fool's Day! Don't fall into a pool without me ;) Now I know there was an important reason for texting you this early...

**Sent 4:02 AM: Arnold (2 of 3): **Happy Six Months. I love you and I'm going to miss you this week. I'll be sure to tell the guys to win for you. I left a surprise for you at school. We'll celebrate together

**Sent 4:03 AM: Arnold (3 of 3): **when I get back. Don't miss me too much, okay? xoxo

P.S. Tell me if anything happens with C&S. I'm dying to know!

Helga smiled before responding. Arnold was so incredibly sweet! And that was one of the thousand reasons why she loved him. She found her jaw aching from smiling so much as she got ready for school. Helga couldn't wait to find out her surprise.

_H-A!-H-A!_

Arnold fell asleep with his cell phone locked in his palm. A quick vibration brought him out of a weak sleep.

**Sent 6:13 AM: Helga (1 of 2):** Happy Six Months, Football Head. I love you and miss you so much already. You better win for me or Diedrek and I will kill you. :) And I swear, I'm not going near a po

**Sent 6:13 AM: Helga (2 of 2):** ol today unless I'm shoving someone in it. xoxo

And I'll ask C at practice today. I hope she took my advice!

Arnold and Helga couldn't help but meddle in Connie's relationship with Sam. She had been treating him nicely, but still picked on him when everyone was around. Helga tried to pair them off at baseball as much as possible, and was happy that her team was an even ratio of boys to girls. Helga's most recent advice was to call him over the weekend and ask for some homework help.

Arnold shot her a quick reply before returning to sleep.

_H-A!-H-A!_

**Sent 6:15 AM. Received 6:34 AM: Arnold:** Even if we don't win our game, you'll still love me, right?

Helga laughed as she started her walk to school.

**Sent 6:34 AM: Helga:** What happened to Mr. Optimistic? And I've loved you for thirteen years. Nothing will ever make me stop loving you.

**Sent 6:35 AM: Arnold:** I'm just making sure. . . .I'll always love you, Helga.

**Sent 6:46 AM: Helga:** Now go back to sleep, Football Head. You're going to want to be well rested to kick some serious baseball ass this week.

Helga wasn't worried that he didn't respond, she was glad he went to sleep.

At school, Phoebe ran up to Helga, squealing slightly, "Have you seen it yet?"

Helga knew she was talking about this surprise, "No, Pheebs I just got here. Why?"

Phoebe grabbed her best friend's wrist and pulled her into the cafeteria. Half of the student body was crowded into the lunch room, looking between the door and the tables, waiting to see the person who did this.

"Oh, my God!"

A random student handed Helga a note as she walked in. She recognized Arnold's handwriting, _"Mrs. Vitello owed me a favor. These are for you. 4,735 lavender roses, one for every day I've loved you. It was love at first sight. Sorry it took me 13 years to realize it._

_And I'm sorry I'm missing prom. Coach promised the team their own dance after we win. I'll pick you up at seven next Friday._

_I love you Helga Geraldine Pataki."_

"Oh my God," was all Helga could say. Helga had completely forgot that prom was this Friday. It didn't matter, anyways. She wasn't going to go without Arnold.

She handed Phoebe the note and began walking through the cafeteria. All of the roses were broken up into vases, a dozen or so into each one. There were almost 350 vases of flowers in the cafeteria.

"Arnold is crazy!"

Phoebe shook her head, laughing, "You both are! Come on, we're gonna be late for homeroom!"

**H-A!-H-A!**

"Good morning class," Mrs. Merriweather's tone was serious as she stood in front of her students. Helga held her English books close to her as she sat in the back of the class. "The school has just received horrid news."

The class began talking loudly, asking what had happened. "Quiet down and I'll tell you."

The room fell silent.

"The boy's baseball team was in an accident."

Helga stopped breathing as her stomach twisted. Her ears began ringing as she tried to catch a breath. "We don't know the details about any injuries. All I know is that they had bad weather and their bus crashed."

_Don't cry_, Helga commanded herself as she felt her vision go blurry. The class went silent for a moment and watched as Helga stormed out of the classroom._ Everything is going to be okay, _she told herself as she went into the girl's restroom. _Don't panic. Don't assume the worst._

Phoebe was standing at the sink, cheeks red. Helga held onto her friend as they cried. The two managed to pull themselves together long enough to make it through biology. The entire school was on edge, waiting to hear any news about the team.

Helga twirled a rose between her hands as she stared ahead, unfocused. Arnold's note was on her desk instead of her biology notebook and her cell phone sat open next to it. She wanted to cry. She wanted to scream and break something. But she felt too weak to do anything.

None of the teachers were sure what to do. They all left class and held a meeting, leaving the students to sit in a classroom for fifty minutes. None of the students misbehaved, instead they all sat wondering.

They tried getting in contact with Diedrek, Alex and all of the boys. All of the parents had been told of the situation, but were reassured that they _probably _weren't hurt.

Helga didn't want to rely on _probably_.

_H-A!-H-A!_

Arnold touched the back of his head, _I feel like I got hit by a truck._ Dark smoke mixed in with the falling rain. Lightning quickly lit up the darkness. The overwhelming scent of gasoline made him feel nauseated.

Arnold looked around through the dark fog. His entire team had been pulled out of their bus and onto the side of the road. _What happened? _Everyone was awake and no one was seriously injured. A few people had cuts and bruises, but no one was dead. Alex and Diedrek walked circles around the boys, routinely checking each of them.

Arnold brought his eyes off his team to stare at the underside of the bus. More smoke wafted into the air as Arnold slowly rose to his feet. He heard a faint sound of Alex protesting, but ignored him. Arnold looked at the other side of the bus, stepping on broken glass from the windows. He saw a large, overturned gasoline truck. Police and ambulance sirens rang loudly in his ears. He couldn't remember anything. He must've had been sleeping when it happened.

"Are you hurt?" a deep voice asked as Arnold's eyes slowly shut. He couldn't remember if he nodded his head or not.

"We had an accident," Diedrek yelled into the pay phone. "No one is injured, but we're to the hospital for a check up. . . Delay the game two days. That's it. We'll be at the hotel tomorrow, and I want everyone to get a day of rest. . . .We crashed into a gasoline truck!" He was talking with State Championship Board.

All of the guys began gathering what they could from the wreckage. Wolfgang decided to be daring and climbed into the bus to retrieve everyone's stuff. The truck driver wasn't harmed and didn't press charges against Diedrek, Alex or the school.

The rain continued to fall as the boys were loaded into ambulances, eight sitting in the back of each. Arnold was awake again. He reached into his pocket, surprised to see his cell phone in perfect condition.

**Sent 10:02 AM: Arnold: **All okay. No one hurt. Still going to play.

Helga's phone rang loudly in the middle of class. Instead of staying to get yelled at by her teacher, she ran towards the office. Her heart was leaping through her chest.

"They're okay!" Helga screamed as she stepped into the office. The principal looked up from his desk and smiled.

"Are you sure?"

"Positive," she tossed her phone and the principal smiled.

"Tell everyone!"

After the team was checked out in the hospital, they were discharged with minor bruising. "We got lucky," Alex said.

"Extremely lucky. No one was hurt and there was no fire! That's like a miracle. Come on guys, I have to find us a ride to the field. We have one long day of resting ahead of us." Diedrek directed the boys towards a few taxi vans.

"-And then the road turned sharply and I missed it with the rain and. . . well, I hit a truck," Diedrek explained to Helga. It was after school and Helga was at Gerald Field, watching the kids warm up. She noticed that Connie and Sam were catching together. Helga smiled when Connie looked at her. Connie flashed her a thumbs up and smiled back.

"But everyone's okay, right?"

"Yeah, just some bruises. Luckily the Board was willing to delay the games two days. We're at our hotel now, everyone in their own bed showered and given low dose pain killers. They'll be okay."

"I'm glad. Are you sure the boys are going to be well enough to play?"

"The boys told me they didn't work this hard to just give up now. I don't know what's got them so worked up, but they swore they'd win."

"They're just crazy," Helga laughed. "Oh, I have to go play Coach for the next few hours. Stay safe."

"I'll keep you updated on the games as the week goes on. See you next Wednesday."

Diedrek hung up and Helga turned her attention to her baseball team.

Alex stepped into the hallway, smiling at every boy who appeared in their doorways. "I ordered these for us a few months ago when we rescued Helga. They're official and everything. Andrew said the Red Sox's manager was happy to give these to us," Alex ripped open the first set of boxes.

"Wow," the boys gasped as the took the uniforms. They looked like the Boston Red Sox Away uniforms with the gray pants and jersey. In navy blue across the chest it said "Hillwood". Their caps had Jays on them and on the left shoulder of their jerseys was an ironed on District Champ insignia.

"I got everyone's numbers on the back. Diedrek insisted on the names," Alex laughed as each of the boys examined the back of the jerseys. Instead of their individual last names, it said "Pataki".

"Hey, without her we wouldn't be here," Diedrek smiled.

"True. I mean, she won our fist game. She instilled confidence in us. And she made us a team," Wolfgang mused as he toyed with the end of his new jersey.

"Amen to that!" Thad laughed.

Alex handed Arnold a bag, "It's Helga's." Arnold smiled. "Open it."

Arnold couldn't help but laugh as he held the uniform in his hands. It was identical to everyone else's, except the fact that the jersey was pink and said "Helga" on the back.

"I know she'll really appreciate this."

Alex smiled before returning to his room. All of the boys went into the hotel's restaurant, ready to eat something to keep their strength up. Even though they were supposed to rest tomorrow, Arnold knew the boys would be pitching by the pool.

**H-A!-H-A!**

"It was incredible, Helga! I've never seen the boys work this hard!"

Helga was on the phone with Alex. The Hillwood Jays had won their three exhibition games without breaking a sweat. On Wednesday, they won 3-0. Thursday was 5-4 and Friday was 8-6.

Arnold felt bad on Friday night after the game. It was their first prom and he was thousands of miles away. Helga understood, baseball was more important than a dance. While the student body buzzed about prom, Helga and Phoebe continued to remind everyone about the baseball team.

They were on their way to the State Championship! It had been fifty years!

"I wish I could've seen it. I can't even imagine how happy everyone is."

"Happy is too tame a term. The guys went _insane_!"

The two teams, George Washington High, Hillwood Jays vs. Shore Acres High Knights, were given a few more days of rest and practice before the game on Tuesday. Shore Acres was hosting the game, so the boys had to drive three more hours to get to the field. The game was going to be broadcasted on local TV in Hillwood and Shore Acres.

"I know you guys will really do amazing on Tuesday. Send everyone my love," Helga laughed.

"Will do. I hope you watch the game on TV."

"Are you joking? I'm the one who convinced the school to require every classroom to have it on their televisions and played over the PA system. I don't plan on missing anything."

"Good. Alright, I have to go. See you later."

"Bye, Alex."

**H-A!-H-A!**

It was hot and only nine a.m. Arnold's throat was dry and he could feel beads of sweat build on his neck. He adjusted his cap and looked out into the crowd. All of the team's parents and siblings, his grandparents and the boarders, were in the stands, mixed in with Shore Acres fans. Signs were blurred in the heat. Cheers were hard to hear. The television cameras panned across the field, capturing the boys warming up.

Arnold tried to block out the fact that _everyone_ in Hillwood was watching them play.

The announcer gave both of the team's histories as the television crews set up, "Hillwood has fought against everyone's odds. They haven't been in this position in fifty years! And this team has gone through a lot in this past week. On their way here, they were in a bus accident. But somehow they all made it out okay and were well enough to play their exhibition games. Talk about incredible!" The announcer laughed, "And in an interesting choice of uniforms, the Hillwood Jays are all wearing jerseys to support their lost player, Helga Pataki."

"What happened to her?" The commentator asked.

"Apparently, she moved to Boston, but moved back to Hillwood shortly after. The Committee wouldn't let her back on because they thought she was a recruit. She won the Jays' first victory in five years in their winter season last year. She was their pitcher and threw at an average of ninety-five miles an hour."

"And she was a girl? Wow. She throws better than I do."

"A child could throw better than you." The two laughed before getting the signal, "And now it's game day here are the Shore Acres John Williams Field. It's time to start with the National Anthem."

Helga's eyes were glued to the screen in first period. She didn't even hear the bell ring to start class. All she cared about was her team. She was touched by the fact they all wore her last name across their backs.

Helga watched as students from Shore Acres sang the national anthem. The camera panned across the teams lined up on the baseline, caps of and hand across their heart. Everyone looked so serious, it was hard not to laugh.

"And, we're playing ball! Shore Acres won the coin toss and Shane McDowell will be batting first." The announcer read of Shane's stats as Arnold stepped up to the mound. The anticipation was killing him. _Focus. Block out everything. This game is for Helga, _he thought to himself as he wound up.

"Strike one!" The umpire yelled. Shore Acres began yelling at Shane. He stepped off the plate and swung a few more times, then stepped back up. Arnold let a hit go, but Wolfgang caught it before it reached first base.

"Out!"

Helga released a breath. She clenched her fists, she was too nervous to stop watching. It was like watching any sport, she was on the edge of her seat the whole time, afraid to look away for fear of missing anything.

Two hours had passed. The teams went into over time, they were in the ninth inning. It was tied 2-2, two outs and first and third bases loaded. Regulations prevented high school games from going into ten innings. If they remained tied, they would have a sudden death game in the following weeks.

Arnold was pitching again. He was caked with dirt, sweat and blood from being smacked in the face with a ball when he was going to bat. He was walked to first base, giving Thad a chance to win their first point. Now, Arnold was back at the mound. _Focus, _he commanded himself as he sucked in a quick breath.

"Here's the wind up, and the pitch," echoed across the silent field. "Oh, it's a strike!"

"Man, that Arnold kid must really be on his game today. Only letting two runs score this entire game! Either this kid has an arm of steel or he just really wants to win."

_Shut up, _Helga thought as she stepped closer to the television. The commentators felt the need to explain everything. _Shut up!_

"Shane must really be shaken by the fact he can't get a hit from this kid."

"If I was Shane, I'd be saying my prayers. It looks like Arnold's gonna knock him out!"

Arnold couldn't hear anything going on around him. He knew the crowd was on their feet, his team was yelling at him, and the announcers were cracking jokes. But that wasn't important to him. He concentrated on the sound of the wind whipping through the field. He focused on keeping the blood flowing in his toes. He clutched the ball, pressing his fingers around it so tightly the stitching was impressing in his skin. _Now or never._

Silence.

Arnold stepped forwards in the clay and smiled. Shane looked nervous. Arnold felt a small knot in his stomach but kept calm. He brought his arm back with all the force he could manage, stepped forwards and launched the ball. In two seconds flat, Arnold felt it return to his glove. His fingers ached. He must've thrown it harder than he thought.

"HILLWOOD WINS! AFTER FIFTY YEARS THE UNDERDOGS ARE BACK!"

Arnold felt crushed by every player on the team. They were jumping and screaming and just going insane. Thaddeus stripped out of his shirt and ran across the field, cackling.

"I have to see that catch again!" The man in the audio booth laughed as Arnold turned his attention to the JumboTron. It showed Arnold pitch the ball then quickly return to his position on the mound, standing dead center. Shane hit the ball, only it went straight towards Arnold. Arnold didn't even flinch. He brought his hand up and stopped the ball. The look on Arnold's face was one of pure determination. "Arnold has ninja like reflexes!'

Arnold stood up off the mound and smiled at the man in the suit walking towards the field. He was holding the trophy.

"Congratulations," he shook Arnold's aching hand and handed him the trophy. Arnold kissed the base before holding up in the air. The boys circled around Arnold and all pressed their hands to the trophy, "Hillwood!" they chanted.

Diedrek ran towards Arnold and kissed his sweaty head. "You guys won! You are incredible!"

Arnold handed him the trophy, "All thanks to you Diedrek."

**H-A!-H-A!**

Helga, along with the rest of the school population, was freaking out. Kids were screaming and banging on lockers and blowing air horns.

"I can't believe it!" Helga screamed as she hugged Phoebe. "They did it!"

When the boys returned to school on Wednesday, they were all wearing their jerseys over white shirts.

"This is for you," Diedrek handed Helga her pink one.

"Thank you," she smiled before hugging her team tightly. "You guys blew my mind! I've never seen you all run so fast and throw so hard!"

"We wanted to win. We weren't just going to let some Knights take our hard work away from us!" Gerald laughed.

"The principal was so excited about the win that he said he's going to throw you guys a banquet. I told him to just let me throw you guys another prom and things will be good," Diedrek smiled.

"Alright!"

"It's this Friday at the Landmark Hotel Ballroom. I want you all there, okay?"

"Okay, Coach," the boys replied before going to class.

Helga kissed Arnold, "I am so proud of you!"

"I couldn't have done it without you," he hugged her.

School was almost over. It was already the second week in April. They had until the first week in June, but that week would be exam week anyways.

On Friday, all of the girls were buzzing about the fact they'd get a second prom. Helga wasn't really into the idea, but Miram insisted she go.

Rhonda stopped Helga in the hallway, "Guess what?"

"What?"

"I'm having a fourth grade class reunion at prom tonight. I invited Lila and she said she's excited to see everyone. Tell Phoebe, Arnold and Gerald, okay?"

Helga felt a sour taste in her mouth. Even though Lila and Arnold never had a relationship, he still had liked her. Sure, it was fourth grade, but still. Jealously stuck.

"Sure, Rhonda. I'll tell them. Sounds like it'll be fun."

"Oh, I know it will be," Rhonda smiled before walking away.

**H-A!-H-A!**

Arnold held Helga's hand tightly as they crossed the crowded ballroom and neared their "Table of Honor" for the baseball team. It was a long table at the front of the room, under a spotlight. All of the boys showed up in black tuxes and wore navy blue ties. Helga, continuing with her team's theme, bought a backless, halter top navy blue dress with a small diamond cluster in the center of her chest.

The ballroom was decorated with silver and blue streamers and balloons, but they all looked out of place compared to the hotel's elegant Victorian decor.

"Looking good, you two," Wolfgang joked.

"You clean up nice," Helga had to yell over the music.

As the night wore on, Helga found herself constantly looking around for Lila. She just had an awful feeling about the whole thing, but she didn't tell Arnold. She didn't want to get into a fight with him about trusting him. She did trust him. She just didn't trust her.

"Oh, my God! Helga!"

Helga turned to see Lila crossing the floor with Rhonda at her side. "Hey," she waved. Lila quickly wrapped her up in a hug.

"I've missed you! I heard about you playing on the baseball team, congrats on your win!"

"Thanks," Helga replied as she forced out of the hug.

Rhonda whispered something into Lila's ear, "It was nice to see you again, Helga. 'Bye."

Helga waved her off before rolling her eyes. _Still Little Miss Nice. _Helga finally made it back to the table. Gerald and Phoebe smiled at her.

"Where's Arnold?"

"Outside. He got a phone call," Gerald pointed Helga to the open side door leading out to a patio overlooking the hotel's pool. Helga rose to her feet and walked out to the patio.

_H-A!-H-A!_

"I'd be crazy to stand here and say I didn't have feelings for you. Ever since fourth grade, it's always been you."

It was a trap.

The phone call was a set up.

Arnold should've seen it coming. He might have been dense once, but he saw the way Helga reacted to the news at school. He knew she didn't like Lila.s

Arnold found himself backing up towards the end of the patio, resting against the edge. "Lila, you know I'm in love with Helga, right?" Lila crossed the patio, closing him into a corner.

"Oh, Arnold, she's so wrong for you! She's mean and nasty and she still calls you Football Head."

"It's a term of endearment now, Lila."

Lila got even closer to him. She closed the gap between them. "Do you ever think about me?"

"No, Lila. I told you, I'm with Hel-_umph_."

Helga knew it. She watched in silence as Lila wrapped her arms around his neck. He wasn't pushing her off. They were just standing on the patio, wrapped in each other's arms. _Kissing._


	9. I'm Not A Fighter, But

**Love Is Like A Baseball Bat**

_Chapter Nine: "I'm Not A Fighter, But I'll Go Through That For You"_

The leaves were so thick, it was impossible to see the sky. Darkness fell in the forest, and it was only early morning. Last night's rain had been a sweet surprise, but she was dry now, so it didn't matter. Helga felt the tree's roots digging into her right side, so she rolled over onto her back. Arnold's hand fell across her exposed waist. His skin continued to warm hers.

Helga always remembered everything. But at this moment, lying on the cold, wet ground with Arnold wrapped around her, she couldn't really remember what happened in the past few months. Of course, she_ knew _what happened, she just couldn't remember why it was a big deal.

Staring upwards, she could see the hole the two created in the canopy. A small bit of morning sunlight fell through. She figured Arnold would stay asleep for a few more hours.

Helga continued to look up to the light, forgetting the fact that they were stranded in the middle of nowhere, and thought back to what brought them here. . . .

It was wrong.

So.

Very.

_Wrong._

But he was doing it. He was kissing Lila. He didn't know why, either. Instinct of some sort, maybe? He didn't even like her, but there he was, kissing her like it was okay. He was confused as to why he was kissing her back. He knew he didn't have to kiss her back. But he did. It seemed to be an involuntary reaction. _This is not okay! _his mind screamed as he brought his hands to Lila's shoulders. The gesture may have appeared to be loving, but he just wanted her off of him.

Arnold tried to push her off. She had him locked in a death grip. _She's not Helga. She's not Helga! _Finally, when Lila was done kissing him, and destroying his relationship, she stepped back and smiled.

He knew she was there. He could sense the cold in the air from her icy stare. Arnold's pleading eyes went to Helga. He could see it in her eyes, pure hate and anger. She was going to beat Lila up, kill her in a few nanoseconds, then tear him apart. Even though Arnold didn't care about Lila, she didn't deserve Helga's beatings.

Well, maybe she did deserve it, but he wouldn't let that happen. If Helga could throw a ball at 100 miles an hour, she could certainly try to throw a punch that fast.

Helga took one step forwards.. Her fists were clenched and she wanted to pounce on Lila and smack that smile off her face. She took another step forwards, but Arnold was standing in front of her, hands glued to her sides. His back was to Lila, so he couldn't see the devilishly sweet smile she flashed to Helga.

"Nice one, L," Rhonda laughed.

Helga wanted to move closer, but Arnold still held her back. "You little. . . Ahhh! I could just kill you!" Arnold tightened his grip as Helga continued to push his chest. Helga was surprised that Arnold was able to keep her back. She was enraged. Helga felt heat rush to her cheeks as she continued to try and push Arnold back. He wouldn't move.

"Looks like we took Miss Mighty down a few pegs," Rhonda and Lila quickly high fived before walking off the patio and back into the dance.

"Let go of me!" Helga screamed.

"Helga," Arnold kept his voice level, "listen, I know that looked bad. . . and I don't know why I did it. I just. . . I'm sorry, okay?"

"Being sorry doesn't undo what you just did!" Helga began punching his chest, "I can't believe you!"

A crowd had formed by the door, consisting mainly of the baseball team. They were worried that neither Helga nor Arnold returned to the dance.

Arnold slowly lowered her hands and looked at her. "Helga."

"No, I don't want to listen to one of your bullshit excuses, Arnold. You kissed another girl!"

"I know. It was a mistake -"

"But you still did it!. . . I'm so mad right now I can't even think straight! Gah!" Helga released a scream and began pacing around the patio. She was shaking slightly and still clenching her fists. She hadn't been really angry in a long time. She was yelling to herself now.

Arnold said it before thinking, in a sarcastic tone, "Well, I'm glad you're not overreacting." What had come over him? As soon as the words left his lips, he knew he had just signed his death wish.

Helga stopped pacing. "Overreacting? You think _this _is overreacting? If I was overreacting I would do this -" Helga turned on her heel and walked to the door, pulling on one of the boy's jackets. Helga, not caring who it was, kissed him. Wolfgang pulled back once his brain processed what was actually happening. He was completely revolted, to put it lightly. "-Then I'd say, 'Now we're even!'" Helga let out a satisfied breath, "And _that_ is overreacting."

"Helga! Ican't _believe_ you just did that!"

"Doesn't feel too good, does it, Football Head?" Arnold stared at her, silenced by anger.

The silence didn't last long.

All hell broke loose.

**H-A!-H-A!**

Arnold felt broken. Specifically, his heart felt like it had been ripped out of his chest, thrown onto the street, run over by a car, thus shattering like glass. Of course, the bruises on his chest hurt too. Helga could throw a mean punch, even if she was less than a foot away from him.

He collapsed against his bed, still dressed in his tux, trying to remember what happened. It was all a bunch of angry words and screams. It didn't even seem real.

Arnold's eyes fell on his bookshelf above his bed. His hand reached out and pulled out two things: Helga's ribbon and the picture from the school's newspaper. He must've turned the picture over in his hands a thousand times. He'd want to look at it, then he wouldn't. He'd smile, then he'd feel it fade quickly.

Suddenly, Arnold remembered his anniversary gift from Helga. It was a book of her poems. They were beautiful and Arnold loved every one. He jumped out of bed, grabbing it off his desk.

He wanted to read them to forget tonight ever happened. But if he read them, he figured it would just hurt him even more. He was pacing around the room, book in one hand, picture in the other. He was torturing dropped both things onto the floor, tears threatening to fall. Fighting with himself about nothing wasn't going to help him. If anything, it was stressing him out more.

Arnold was simply confused. He returned to his bed, staring at the cloudy night sky. He felt awful. He had cheated on Helga, right in front of her. What kind of asshole did that? He couldn't really blame Helga for being upset. Arnold was upset with himself too. He couldn't figure out why he kissed her. It was _Lila. _His fourth grade crush! He was nine last time he liked her!

Arnold's head throbbed. He felt sick and tired. He wanted to sleep, but his mind kept reeling back to the look on Helga's face. She looked. . .devastated wasn't even beginning to cover it. His stomach twisted even tighter.

He was an awful person.

Sleep would've been a nice release from the gut-wrenching pain he felt, but his eyes wouldn't close. He was facing his phone, Helga's ribbon in his palm. The silk felt like ice against his skin, reminding him of her glare at Lila.

Helga wouldn't leave his mind no matter how hard he tried.

And he had to spend Saturday afternoon with her, playing baseball. _Great, _he thought angrily as his alarm went off at six a.m.

_H-A!-H-A!_

She couldn't remember what had been said exactly. _How did I end up here? _She could barely even remember her name, her world was so broken.

"Wake up this instant you drunken teenage hooligan!"

Helga's head shot upwards as a familiar voice shook in her skull. "I'm not drunk," she mumbled.

"Come to my office with me at once!"

Helga rolled her eyes once she saw who was threatening her. "Principal Wartz, with all due respect, I'm not a student here anymore. And it's Saturday!"

After an hour or so of fighting, their conversation got twisted and shaped into a break up. Just like that, a snap of the fingers, and they were over. Helga, in a daze on her walk home, scaled the fence of P.S. 118 and looked onto the playground. Her heels were broken from scaling the fence, her dress was ripped and dirty, but she didn't she sat down on the picnic table, everything rushed back to her. Every day on the playground flashed before her eyes. Every secret monologue, every angry insult, every game of baseball all blinded her vision as she fell asleep.

"I don't want any back talk, young lady. Get to my office."

Helga rolled her eyes again before smiling. Prinicpal Wartz still looked the same, although he had larger bags under his eyes and more wrinkles on his face. The two walked to his office in silence. "So, what? You gonna call my mom and tell her I'm in trouble?"

"Yes, that's exactly what I'm going to do!" He picked up the phone and dialed Helga's home number. He left a quick message before hanging up.

"I'm not a student here. I haven't been here in like six years. I'm almost a high school senior. The principal of my old elementary school doesn't scare me."

"You know you were trespassing on private property, right?"

"Yeah."

"And you know that's a serious crime, right?"

Helga smiled, "It doesn't have to be. You don't have to report me to the police. I didn't break anything besides my heels," Helga held up her shoes and laughed. "If you left me go, it would just be one less thing for you to deal with. Less paperwork and explanation to concerned parents."

Principal Wartz let Helga go with a 'warning'. _When would I ever come back? _Helga thought as she quickly exited the school and returned home. Helga called her mother once she reached the house to let her know she was okay, got dressed, and went to the baseball field. She just wanted this day to be over. She didn't want to have to see Arnold. She just wanted to curl up in her bed and cry. For once, she didn't want to play baseball.

Helga took the old route to GW, walking past Gerald Field. She was surprised to see it empty. It was Saturday afternoon! Didn't kids play outside anymore?

"Helga?"

Helga turned to see Connie sitting on the bench under the score board. "Connie, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, I was just surprised to see you," she lied.

Helga crossed the field and sat down beside her. "What's wrong?"

"Sam doesn't like me," she wailed and collapsed into Helga's lap. Helga's heart went out to her, she had been in the same position plenty of times.

"What happened? How do you know?"

"I took your advice and stared being nice to him. He said we were friends. Then he told me about his really big crush on Jane."

Helga didn't know Jane, but she knew that didn't matter right now. "I'm sorry, Connie." Helga smirked, "Boys suck, don't they?"

"Yeah, they do." Connie wiped a stray tear off her cheek.

"Did you tell Sam how you feel?"

"No. I was going to, but then Jane came over and said she like-liked him too."

Helga didn't know what to say. She wasn't good with advice. _That's Arnold's job, _she thought bitterly. She released an angry breath before remembering she was trying to comfort a broken hearted ten year old.

"Are you going to be okay, Connie?"

"Yeah, I just needed someone to cry to." She smiled. "I actually feel better. Thanks Helga." Connie stood up and walked across the field. "I'll see you when school starts again!" Helga forgot she stopped the baseball camp a few days ago because. . . Why did she stop it? Could she really not remember? Had she really forgotten about the kids who needed her?

_When did my life fall apart?_ Helga sat on the bench for a moment, wishing she had someone to cry to, too.

_H-A!-H-A!_

"Since our season is over, I decided to keep the championship spirit up by sending us to Nationals!" Diedrek began doing spirit fingers, trying to jazz up the idea that the kids would be gone all summer.

"Where is it?" Gerald asked.

"Hawaii. And if we win against the other states, we get to go to Europe!"

"An International Baseball Tournament? Really?" Thad laughed.

"Yeah, doesn't it sound exciting? And the best news of all is that since our season has ended, Helga can join the team!" Everyone's eyes went to Arnold. He shut his eyes and collapsed against the fence. "Alright, what did I miss at the dance?"

"Helga and Arnold broke up," a sophomore said.

Alex chuckled, "Oh, man. That sucks."

"So, what's the problem? I don't see one," Diedrek scratched his head. "They'll get back together."

"They were seconds away from killing each other last night. Could you imagine them together for three months? Neither one would make it out alive," Gerald smiled as he rested his hand on Arnold's shoulder.

"Thanks," Arnold said from behind his hands.

"You guys will get over it. I mean, what happened wasn't that bad, right?" Diedrek smiled hopefully.

"It was bad. And then got a lot worse with words."

"Well, you're gonna have to get over it. You and Helga are our pitchers and we need you on the team."

"Alright," Arnold nodded.

"So, what did I miss?"

Arnold kept his eyes shut as everyone focused on Helga. "You're back on the team, Pataki, and we're going to go to Hawaii on the second day of summer. Think you can handle three months of straight baseball?"

"Of course, Coach. I wouldn't imagine spending my summer doing anything else," she smiled, _It's not like I have colleges to look at or my future to care about or anything._

"Alright, now give me ten laps!"

**H-A!-H-A!**

April was a stressful blur.

All Helga did was school and baseball practice. She hadn't spent any time with Phoebe and still refused to talk to Arnold. He called her every night at least four times after practice, still wanting to talk about what had happened.

It killed them both, being apart. Helga reverted to her old ways, hiding her feelings with anger. A lot of anger. And Arnold took it all. He accepted all of her insults because he still loved her. He knew what he did was wrong and really hurt her. Of course, she didn't really help the situation by kissing Wolfgang, but Arnold understood she did it because she was upset.

Helga hated the way she was acting. Yelling and screaming at the entire team, taking all of her anger out on them. She was angry with herself. She couldn't stay mad at Arnold, no matter how hard she tried. She knew from the beginning that Lila was up to no good, and the fact that they broke up only encouraged Lila's stupid plan.

But Arnold wasn't going to play games. He wasn't going to fall into Lila's trap again. Every day she'd talk to him and flirt, but Arnold wouldn't react. He'd stay uninterested in whatever she said and was sure to stay a few steps back from her.

After a month of not speaking, Arnold and Helga finally figured out a way to sit next to each other in biology. Before, they'd fight, or wouldn't even look at each other. Phoebe and Helga would sit together, as did Arnold and Gerald. Arnold and Helga worked independently, and their teacher tried to get them to work together, but they couldn't cooperate. Arnold took it as a good sign on the last day in April that Helga didn't put up a fight about anything, and actually seemed to be okay with working with him. That still didn't change the fact they were both miserable.

May came and went in a daze of rainstorms.

Practices got harder in the rain, but Helga learned how to throw a curve ball through the storm. Exams became Helga's focus, whenever she wasn't playing baseball, she was studying. She hadn't realized how much she missed in the beginning of the year.

They had been apart for so long, their time together almost seemed like a dream. Helga found herself still staring at him, still writing poems, still thinking about him. She still loved him. And Arnold still loved her. But Helga was too damn stubborn to answer one of his phone calls and talk to him. She knew she was acting way worse than her father, but it had already been months. She couldn't just go back to him now.

"Come on, Pataki! Keep up!" Diedrek yelled before blowing the whistle. Helga had fallen behind in their warm ups, something that never happened. Helga rolled her eyes and continued running. "This is our last practice before we leave for Hawaii tomorrow!"

_I'd be more excited about it, Coach, except I have to spend my entire summer with fourteen guys and my ex-boyfriend who I'm still in love with, _Helga thought to herself. Once she finished the laps, she marched over to the batting cage.

"Go!" she screamed. Alex hit the switch and the automatic pitcher fired balls at Helga. She hit every one of them with extreme force.

"Angry?" Alex smirked.

"Yeah, yeah, just keep mocking me. I heard some interesting things from your brother a few months ago," she spat. Alex shut up fast.

"Helga! Get over here!" Diedrek called her out of the batting cages. "I want you to pitch to Arnold."

_Big mistake, Coach. _Helga took the ball, smiling.

Arnold knew she would do it. The smile on her face only reaffirmed his fears. Instead of swinging, Arnold ducked out of the way, preventing the ball from hitting him in the face.

"Aim a little better, okay?" Diedrek yelled. "Remember, you want it to hit the net." Helga rolled her shoulders back and pitched. Arnold jumped out of the way again. "Helga, focus. I know you hate him for whatever he did, but I don't want you losing your touch." Helga began getting frustrated. The first one was on purpose. But the second one wasn't. She pitched once more, only this time it went too low, almost striking Arnold's forward hip. "Pataki!"

"Coach, I _swear_, I'm not doing this on purpose!"

"You better not be! I'm not taking you to Hawaii if you and Arnold can't work out your problems. Don't make me lock you into a room together!" Helga spun on her heel and pitched the ball to Diedrek, hitting his shoulder.

"Don't threaten me!" Helga wound up one last time, sending the ball straight down the middle, a perfect strike.

"She just needed a little encouragement,"Alex laughed as Diedrek continued to rub his shoulder.

Arnold walked over to her, lowering his voice, "Helga, look I know we have issues, but we should try to forget about our problems on the field, okay? Our team is really counting on us because we're the reason we're going to Hawaii. Do you think, maybe, you can hate me every other time except baseball practice?"

_Damn you and your nice ways, Arnold, _Hegla though before nodding. _Oh, fuck, even when I hate him I love him. _Arnold returned to the plate and Helga continued to pitch.

**H-A!-H-A!**

Hawaii. A tropical island getaway, perfect for families and couples on honeymoons, with its sunny skies and warm, sandy beaches with clear blue water and waves that curl. It was the worst possible place to go if you were Helga Pataki. She was trapped with her ex-boyfriend and seventeen other males. Too much testosterone and not enough estrogen. _This is going to be the worst summer ever, _Helga sighed as she tried to reach her mom in Alaska from the hotel's phone.

Even though Arnold was hurt, he still was going to be nice to Helga. He had nice been for thirteen years, even after all of the bullying and everything. It was the right thing to do.

"Here," Arnold picked up Helga's baseball bag, "you okay?"

Helga hung up the phone and rolled her eyes. She tried to reach for the bag, but Arnold slung it over his shoulder, resting it on top of his. "Yeah, uh. . .thanks."

"Helga, you are very lucky," Diedrek smiled, "because you get your own room." He handed her an electronic room key with a Post-It note: 227.

"Alright, looks like Coach finally did me a favor."

Arnold handed his bags off to Gerald. "I'll bring this to your room," Arnold smiled before following Helga to her room.

Helga's stomach was in knots. Even after everything they had gone through, Arnold was still being the nice guy. She didn't get it. Shouldn't he hate her or something? She tried to hate him. It only lasted about five seconds, but she still tried.

Once they were outside her door, Helga smiled, "I can handle it from here."

"Tag!" Thad yelled as he zoomed by on a luggage carrier. He shoved Arnold into Helga and the two fell backwards onto the floor. "Sorry!"

"_Curly!_" Helga growled. She always called Thaddeus 'Curly' whenever she was upset. She heard a light chuckle.

"Are you okay?"

Helga looked up into his deep green eyes and all she had to do was lean in just a little more. . . .She slowly pressed her body upwards. They were inches apart, staring into each other's eyes. _Oh. . .my God, _they thought.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she whispered. Helga then shoved Arnold off. Of course, all she wanted to do was just lay there with him, but she had to keep focused. She wasn't mad at him, but it had been _months._

"You sure?"

"_Yes, _Football Head. I'm okay," Helga smiled before shutting the door. Helga immediately collapsed against it, holding onto the door handle to keep slightly upright, _Damn my pride. Damn my anger. I need him so badly._

Arnold fell back against the door, gently slamming his head against the golden numbers. He sighed, _That's the happiest I've seen her in months. . . Damn it, there goes my last chance at thinking she was better off without me._

"Alright, team, this is it! All you have to do is win the next few rounds of games, and we're golden!" Diedrek smiled as he examined the game schedule. They were only going to be in Hawaii for a week, playing at most two or three games a day. The entire series was exhibition games, meaning once the team lost, they were out of the running. On the first day, twenty-five games went on simultaneously on the eight islands.

As the week wore on, it became clear that Hillwood City was great and they were probably going up against Boston, Massachusetts or New York, New York. It was ironic, and Helga was the only one who found it hilarious.

The semi-finals was the last four teams standing: Hillwood City, Boston, New York and Orlando, Florida. Hillwood played Orlando while Boston and New York went head to head. The four-part circuit made sure that everyone played each other before being eliminated in the last round.

Hillwood won against Orlando, lost to New York, and defeated Boston. The Jays wouldn't know which team they were facing in the finals until they showed up to the field on the next island, Maui.

The Jays switched islands, ready to spend the night on Maui and prepare for their afternoon game on the beach. It was getting to be late at night and Helga could hear the boys cheering on their porches.

"Hey, Helga, come on, we're going down to the ocean," Lorenzo and Iggy tried to lure Helga out of her hotel room for one night of fun.

"What are you going to do down there?" she asked.

"Midnight swim!" Iggy laughed before grabbing her hand and forcing her off her patio.

"Guys, I really should rest for -" Helga stopped protesting when she saw what was happening. Dozens of teens she didn't know were all dancing and swimming around bon fires on the beach. Hammocks were set up near fire pits and Helga could smell s'mores. She heard an Elvis song playing on a radio, mixing in with the teen's laughter and side conversations. Iggy and Lorenzo quickly left Helga standing by the edge of the water.

"Swimming time!" someone yelled. Everyone cheered as they ran towards the water. The guys stripped down into their underwear, and the girls quickly followed.

Helga began backing up, ready to return to her room.

"Ditching an after hours party? What kind of bad girl are you?" a sweet voice asked from behind.

"Hey, Helga, show us how _bad_ you are! Skinny dip for us, baby!" a sophomore yelled.

Arnold covered his open mouth. That wasn't what he meant. "You don't have to do it, Helga," Arnold began.

"Aww, is she scared because we're all gonna see her naked?" Wolfgang asked in a teasing, baby voice.

Helga scanned the beach, thinking. She saw a dock a few feet away. "Arnold, help me up here."

Arnold shook his head, "Helga, you really don't have to. They're just being stupid."

"I said, help me up here, Football Head!" Arnold quickly hoisted Helga onto the dock. Everyone began hollering. Guys released a few cat calls. She heard girls laughing and applauding her as she ripped off her shirt and shorts. She waited until she neared the end of the dock before getting completely naked. She stood on the edge for a second, as if to prove she actually was naked, then jumped in.

Everyone went wild.

Luckily, the water was so dark at night, they couldn't tell she was naked anyways.

"You are crazy, Pataki," Wolfgang high fived her as she swam towards shallower water.

A flashlight hit the water. "Hey!"

Someone screamed, "Hotel security! Everyone scatter!"

Helga was about to stand up and run, but she remembered she was naked. _Shit, shit, shit. . ._She quickly dove under, swimming in darkness, hoping that she was going towards the docks.

Arnold watched as everyone else ran out of the water. All of the baseball team ran in the same direction while the others went away from the hotel. He quickly stopped Wolfgang, "Where's Helga?"

Wolfgang turned back to look, "I think she went under." He quickly resumed running back to his room.

The security quickly put out the fires and tried to capture a few of the local teens. "Helga!" Arnold ran down the dock, picking up her clothes. "Helga! Answer me!"

Helga quickly came up, breathless and shaking. The water got colder as she went farther from shore. She looked around, she overshot the dock.

"Arnold!"

Arnold quickly turned his head, "Where are you?"

Helga continued to kick, trying to suspend herself, but finding it hard with the waves rising. "About a hundred feet out!"

"You have to swim in!" Arnold watched from the edge of the dock, heart in his throat.

Helga sucked in a quick breath before diving under the waves and swimming towards the dock. It would've been easy since she was going in with the waves, but they got rough as dark clouds crossed the moon's path. "Helga!"

Helga continued to force her way through the waves, only to feel a sharp pain shoot into her arm. It was unlike anything she had ever felt before. It felt like she had just been electrocuted. Pain shot into her muscles immediately, making it hard to move. Tears began flowing, but it made no difference since she was in salt water.

"Oh, shit!" she screamed as she realized she had just swam into a jellyfish swarm. She remembered her biology class studies, their neurotoxins could be deadly.

"Helga! Where are you?"

Helga forced her way through the pain. She was fifty feet from the dock. She could make it. The stinging continued, only to worsen with each stroke. Either she had been completely surrounded, or moving an already stung muscle was worse.

"Arnol-" Helga splashed her arms wildly before feeling things go dark.

_"What the hell were you thinking?"_

_"Coach, leave her alone! She just got attacked by jellyfish!"_

_"She was swimming _naked _in the ocean at night! We're lucky a shark didn't get her!"_

_"We're lucky Arnold stayed behind and pulled her out of there."_

_"First, I'm extremely disappointed in you boys for going out after midnight. We have a big game! And I'm upset with whoever dared her to go in naked. And third, who the fuck leaves their teammate stranded in the water?"_

_"The hotel security came and we all ran. Helga swam back towards the docks. She would've made it."_

_"But the jellyfish got her first! Boys, you aren't grasping the gravity of this situation."_

_"Diedrek! Diedrek! She's waking up!"_

Helga's eyes slowly opened to see Deidrek leaning over her, invading her personal space.

"Thank God!"

Helga's eyes went around the room. She was in a small infirmary of some sorts, only it was filled with boys. Her teammates all surrounded her, cramped into the tiny room, sitting and standing wherever they could. Helga couldn't see anything else in the room but their bodies. She couldn't even tell where the door was. Everyone's eyes remained downcast, focused on Helga.

She didn't care if she was naked or not at the moment. All she cared about was the immense amount of pain shooting in her right leg and left arm. She felt swollen, sore and ripped to shreds.

"What happened?" she croaked.

Alex bent in close too, "After you got stung, you kept swimming, but the toxins took over and you passed out. Arnold jumped in after you, but he didn't get stung." _Oh, good, _Helga smiled. "The doctors say it'll hurt for a few hours, but they got all the stingers out. You got slashed _everywhere_!"

Helga could only nod. Doing anything else would've been painful. "They say the best thing to do is sleep. We'll come check on you before and after the game, okay?"

She nodded again as everyone left the room.

"You just have the worst luck, huh?"

"I think fate doesn't want me playing baseball," she tried to laugh. Helga forced herself to sit up in bed. She finally noticed she was in clothes. A familiar long sleeved red plaid shirt and her shorts.

"I think it's a sign you shouldn't listen to the team."

"Yeah, I shouldn't. I hurt all over. What happened? I just remember calling your name then. . .waking up here."

Arnold sat down on the edge of the bed. "I talked to the doctors before calling everyone. Apparently, jellyfish bloom after a full moon. You just got extremely unlucky and swam into a swarm of them. A few dozen at least. Their toxin was only mild, but since you had so many slashes, it just seemed worse. You kept trying to swim, which escalated the pain. You kinda passed out. You drowned for a few seconds, but I pulled you up. You were almost unconscious, so after giving you CPR and dressing you, I called over the security guards."

"But you could've been stung."

"No, you had already made it out of the swarm by the time I got to you. The toxins just paralyzed you momentarily."

"Ugh, I hate this. I miss every important game because of some stupid, ridiculous circumstance."

"Well, if we win today, we have a week layover back home before going to the first country. So you'll be better just in time to pitch the really important games."

"I guess," she sighed. "Thanks for saving me. You didn't have to -"

"I would've jumped in even if there was a fifty foot shark. Of course, I wouldn't know what to do, but that wouldn't have stopped me."

Helga groaned. "Why are you so. . ." _frustrating? sweet? impossible to hate?_ ". . . nice?"

"It's who I am," Arnold smiled. "Just, focus on feeling better okay? I'll be back after practice."

Helga fell back against the bed, glaring at the door. _He should've just left me for dead. Seeing him leave is killing me._

The Hillwood Jays were surprised to see the Orlando Hawks standing on Maui's field.

Diedrek huddled up the team, "We've beaten them before, guys, we can do it again!"

"We won because Helga pitched," Torvald added.

The team's faces fell.

Alex pushed his way into the center of the group, "So, let's win this for her. She's been the reason all along, right?"

After an extensive game going into twelve innings, both teams tied at 7-7, Arnold's arm was sore. He was ready to give up. But he remembered everyone was counting on him to strike out the last batter and get the last out. This would then require that someone had to bat a home run to bring the Jays into the lead and then they'd have to keep their score steady until the game ended.

"Come on, Arnold! You can do it!" Gerald yelled from the dugout.

Arnold took one step forwards, throwing the ball as hard as he could.

_H-A!-H-A!_

_Arnold quickly stripped out of his shirt and shoes, ready to jump in and save her, no matter what happened to him._

Splash!

_"Helga! Helga! I'm coming!"_

_Salt water stung the back of her throat. She couldn't move. Her eyes shut, trying to shield them from the stinking water. Slowly, her body relaxed as she sank deeper into the dark water._

_Arnold tried not to hurt her. The open stings were burning him badly. He could only imagine how bad it felt for her. He continued to swim, reaching the dock in a matter of minutes. He carefully clung to the ladder, once again trying not to hurt her. She was limp and her breathing was slowing even more._

_Arnold quickly wrapped his dry shirt around her, staying focused on her face and ignoring her injured, naked body. A small stinger had caught her cheek, a small amount of blood ran off her face with the water._

_He gently wiped the blood away and Helga's eyes flew open_. She quickly threw her body forwards, gasping and coughing.

She quickly looked around the room. Gerald and Diedrek were sleeping in the chairs lined up against the wall in front of her. Her heat was racing, she hated dreams like that.

Arnold's chair was pulled up beside her bed. His head quickly dropped from his hand and he looked up. Helga looked scared.

"You okay?" he whispered.

"Drowning nightmare," she replied. Her leg began convulsing, kicking wildly. "What the hell?"

Arnold laughed. "Since the neurotoxins paralyze the body, some of the toxin is still in your system. Your nerves are responding to impulses in the brain from the toxin. You can't really do anything about it until it's all out of your system. This is like the fifth time it's happened since we got here."

"Great," she collapsed back in bed, "So, how did you guys do?"

Arnold shrugged before dragging the chair even closer. "We won. Everyone else flew home early this morning with Alex."

"Why didn't you guys go?"

"I didn't want to leave until I knew you were okay. Gerald stayed because I stayed and Diedrek said he wouldn't leave without you. The doctors say you should be able to walk today, but you'll be sore for a while."

"I just want to get out of here. The farther I am away from the ocean, the better."

**H-A!-H-A!**

Returning home to an empty house after being attacked by jellyfish wasn't the kind of comfort Helga had imagined. Miram was in Alaska visiting Olga and she didn't really care where Bob was.

She had three day left until leaving to their "secret location". Diedrek wanted to surprise the kids, never telling them where they were going until they reached the airport.

Helga was excited. She'd never been out of the country before, and now she going from country to country, playing baseball. Diedrek promised that he'd try to book some tours on the off days they'd have. The games went all over the world, and according to Alex, none of the countries were close, so there would be a lot of traveling. She didn't mind it so much. She'd get to see more of the world that way, then.

Helga wanted to finally spend time with Phoebe, but she was in Japan. So Helga was stuck in the house most of the day. She was still unbelievably sore. It looked like she had been viscously whipped across her leg, arm and chest. The swelling and stinging had gone down, but Helga had to keep applying a soothing cream that the doctors gave her. Since wearing real clothes hurt her arm and chest too much, she simply walked around her house in shorts and a bra. It got to be a real pain because she kept getting random impulses, causing her to slash her arms around wildly. It would hurt if she was trying to do something else, like cook. Helga only order pizza or went out to eat after that.

Now, she was sitting on her bedroom floor, staring at her spilled cream. It was odorless, but the white color and texture made it appear to be whipped cream. She picked it up with her right hand and tried to force the fallen contents back into the jar. Just as she was about to finish, her muscle contracted and relaxed, dropping the jar. It broke open and spilled back on the floor.

"Damn it," she muttered before collapsing back on the floor. She was still practically useless.

_Knock knock! _Helga slowly lifted herself off the floor and looked out the window.

It was Arnold. _Big surprise._

"What do you want?" she called down to him.

"To see if you're okay! You're home alone with jellyfish stings!"

"Well, I can't come to the door because I'll probably fall down the stairs. Come up!" Arnold quickly swung into the tree, grabbing onto a high branch and swinging himself up.

Arnold tossed Helga another jar. "The doctors gave me more cream. They said a lot of people drop it and can't put it on themselves."

"Lucky for me, I just dropped my last one," she smiled.

Arnold quickly slid in through her window. "Do you need help?"

Helga's cheeks burned. Of course she did, her arms wouldn't stop freaking out, but the slashes went across her chest. . . and they weren't together anymore, he was her ex. . . _Awkward, thy name is Helga, _she thought before nodding. She never would've agreed if her mom were home, or if she had any one else to call.

"My leg, arm, and chest," she mumbled.

"Helga, why are you here alone?" Arnold dropped to the floor and began applying the cream to her legs. It looked like a few of them would scar across her thigh.

"Miram's in Alaska. I didn't think we'd have this layover week, so I told her to go have fun for the whole summer and I'd see her in August."

"Don't you hate it here alone?"

"I've been here alone four nights already. It's not that bad." Arnold moved to her arm, gently massaging her sore muscles too. "Oh, my God that feels good."

"Good," he laughed, "My grandma's been on a weird massage thing lately. She turned our dining room into a spa."

Helga laughed. "Where do you guys eat?"

"On the roof. It's nice."

"Do you massage people?"

He shook his head, "No. But she keeps trying to get me to learn. It's a little weird, because every time she says something about it my grandpa winks. They're just strange people." He laughed again as he finished massaging her arm.

Silence.

"I'll be okay, Arnold, thanks." She closed the jar and set it on her bed.

"They could severely scar you, unless you put the cream on."

Helga stared at the floor. "If we weren't in this situation, I'm sure I'd let you, but. . ."

"Helga, you have to put the cream on, regardless whether I do it or not."

"But _I _can't. I've already tried and just dropped it."

Arnold remained standing over her. He didn't know what to do. When they were dating, they hardly did anything due to the fact baseball ruled their lives. Arnold thought for a moment, did they even have a first date? He couldn't remember. His mind focused on their harsh break up.

He brought his eyes to meet hers. "If there was any other way. . ."

"I promise you, I would've thought of it by now. I've been at this for hours."

Arnold had already seen her naked once, when he rescued her. Of course, it was unintentional, but he was a teenage guy. He couldn't help it. "So, how do we go about this?" Arnold sat down on her bed and picked up the jar and tossed it between his hands.

Helga bit her lip. There were a thousand ways to do this. And a few million reasons why this was awkward. But she just wanted to be healed. She lied down on her bed. Neither one of them spoke. Helga shut her eyes, an Oh-I-can't-believe-this smile on her face. Arnold started with her torso. It was still pretty red and bruised.

He couldn't really remember what happened after that. Did he kiss her first? Or had she sat up without him knowing? Well, whatever happened, happened. They were making out. Things heated quickly.

_Oh, God, I've missed you so much, _Helga thought as Arnold slowly pulled her closer.

It was the first time since their break up that Arnold couldn't remember why he let her go. He thought he was crazy to not have fought harder for her. He still loved her. He would always love her. He knew she loved him back. He could feel it in her kiss.

His hand slowly went back to her chest and the rest of the day was lost in a world where life felt like the space of consciousness before falling into a deep sleep and a dream.

**H-A!-H-A!**

"Ah, Machu Picchu. It's an amazing climb, right?" The boys all turned and looked at the mountain they'd be climbing. There was a small, thin rocky staircase carved into the mountain. The ruins looked to be a few thousand feet up. There was a fog rolling in, hiding some of the peaks.

"Oh, it's incredible. Great workout, but don't worry, it's not as high as it looks," the tour guide replied.

Diedrek laughed, "Just what I need to keep these kids in shape."

Somehow, Peru ended up being the first stop on the International Baseball Tournament circuit. No one was really sure how, but they figured playing Peruvians would be fun. The team quickly geared up and prepared for their hike. Alex wanted to take the kids touring since they arrived two days early.

"Going up at these altitudes can be challenging, so it's okay to stop. There's no way up or down this mountain unless it's this route," their tour guide explained as the group began working their way up.

Two hours had passed and they still were a mile away from the site. They had made decent time with only a group few stops.

Helga couldn't breathe. She rested her back against the side of the mountain, trying to relax. Arnold could tell she was struggling, so he waited a few steps above her. The rest of the team continued on marching. Arnold wasn't worried about getting lost, there was only one way up the mountain.

Neither had talked about their intense make-out session that happened at Helga's house. If anything, they had been strictly avoiding each other since then. They were over. And neither one knew how to start the perfect apology to get back together.

"You okay?"

"I hate this altitude," she wheezed. Finally, she caught a breath and smiled. "I'm okay, now, so can we please catch up to everyone?"

"Relax, there's no where to go," Arnold smiled back. Helga pushed herself off the edge and began walking up the steps, only to feel herself slip. She released a scream as she lost balance and began falling.

Arnold dove down the stairs and held onto her wrists tightly. "Are you okay?" he panted. Helga's hands locked onto his wrists too.

"I think I hit my head against the rock," Helga moaned as she tried to force her foot to find balance. There was nothing she could use to push herself up. No rocks, no crevasses, not even a root or tree branch. It was smooth surface.

Arnold's body was also in an awkward position. He was practically falling off the edge. His stomach was being crushed by the stairs. His backpack was pushing forwards on his shoulder, threatening to be the thing to drag him down. He couldn't take it off without letting go of Helga. And he wasn't going to do that.

"Can you stand on anything?"

"Nothing. I'm sorry."

"It's okay. We'll get you up soon, okay? Just don't let go."

"I won't," she replied, voice shaking.

Arnold didn't know how long had passed. Hours, maybe? The sun had fallen from it's high point of the afternoon. It was almost beyond the trees, preparing to be ready to descend into the horizon.

Helga continued to try pulling herself up, but it wasn't enough. Arnold couldn't move without forcing himself over the edge, so they were both stuck. Helga didn't weigh much, but after a while, Arnold found it hard to keep his arms from shaking.

"Arnold, you should just let me drop. I'm sure there's something soft at the bottom, like solid ground," Helga tried to force her hands out of his grip.

Arnold only tightened in response. "Helga, I'm not letting go of you, okay? I'll hold you over this ledge forever. I'm _not _dropping you."

"Seriously, you should just let go. You're tired. No one would blame you."

He sighed, "Helga, I'm not fighting you on this."

"I am. Hell, if anything, I deserve to die. I've been a bitch my entire life and it's just karma catching up to me."

"No one deserves to die."

"I do," Helga looked up at Arnold and laughed, "I always figured I'd die a virgin." It just came out. Helga was surprised she even said it.

"Helga, you're not going to die. . . And why?"

"I always told myself I wouldn't have sex with anyone unless it was with you. Never actually thought we'd do it. Hell, I never even thought we'd go out. I still don't get why you loved me." _There._ She said it. Something she had wondered since day one. Helga thought if she was going to die, she might as well let it all out.

"I don't know what you did to me, Helga, but I fell in love with you. I find it hard to even explain to myself, sometimes. And," Arnold struggled, his hand slipping slightly, "I never stopped loving you."

Helga tried to hold on tighter, but it wasn't helping. "Thirteen years still going strong, Football Head," she laughed. Arnold quickly adjusted his shoulders, only to bring his backpack over the edge, hitting Helga's arms.

"Helga, I have an idea. I need you to trust me, okay?"

"Alright, Arnold, I trust you."

Arnold slowly rolled over the edge, taking Helga's arms and wrapping them around his waist. He was now hanging with both hands gripping onto the side of the stairs. Helga's back was pressed against the rock as she brought her hands to his neck.

"Sorry if I'm crushing you," Arnold whispered.

"It's better than before."

"For you, maybe. I have a feeling we're going to be falling real soon," Arnold tried to laugh.

"It'll be okay. We have nothing but trees below us. The canopy should stop our fall."

"Oh, so now you're optimistic?"

A few moments of silence passed. Helga was resisting the urge to kiss him. But that would only lead to more awkward situations.

One hand slipped.

Wincing in pain, Arnold wrapped his now-free arm around Helga. The two knew Arnold wouldn't be able to hold on much longer. There was nothing else to do but fall. "You ready?"

Helga nodded.

_"One. . .two. . .three. . ."_

**H-A!-H-A!**

The world was spinning in a haze of fuzzy black and white dots. Helga blinked a few times until her vision became clear again. _I hate this summer so much. I can't do anything without getting hurt!_

Once she realized that she was crushing Arnold, Helga quickly got off of him and tried to sit him up. Arnold opened his eyes and smiled. "Are we dead?"

Helga looked upwards. She wasn't sure what to feel at the moment. Should she be in pain? Or sad for the fact they died?. . . Well, how did you know if you were dead? Helga shrugged, figuring they were still alive. She was breathing, that was enough proof for her.

"Well, if we're dead and this is Heaven, I don't mind," Arnold smiled before resting his arms behind his head and falling backwards, finally relaxing.

Helga looked around. This cold forest floor was an awful place to call 'Heaven'. "Why not?" she asked.

Arnold was quiet for a minute before sitting back up. "Because you're here."

And that's all it took. Every feeling of past anger, jealousy, mistrust and doubt just disappeared. Thunder roared above as rain pounded on the two teens. The two practically attacked each other. They had almost_ died_ by falling off the side of a mountain. Helga could only think of one way to celebrate the fact that they were still alive. . . .

That's how she got here, lying naked on the forest floor next to Arnold. His hand tightened around her and slid her closer, "Good morning."

"Hi," she smiled as she turned over to her left side to face him.

"I take it we haven't been discovered yet." His hand gently traced the jellyfish sting scar across her thigh. Helga laughed.

"Nope. Who knows, the team could've forgotten about us and now were stranded here in a mountain forest near Machu Picchu."

Arnold laughed, "Diedrek's been telling us for months how important we are. They're probably searching the trails for us."

A quarter fell and hit Helga's side. "What the -?"

"Hello! Is anyone down here?"

Helga looked up to the hole almost fifty feet above them. Helga couldn't see who the person was, leaning into the hole. All she saw was a small silhouette. Helga cupped her hands around her mouth and screamed back, "Coach?"

"I found them!"

In a matter of minutes, an automatic pulley was sent down and Arnold and Helga, now fully dressed, strapped themselves in. "Go!" Once they reached the surface, Diedrek hugged them.

"What the hell happened to you guys? We camped at the site, expecting to see you show up. When we didn't, we hit the trail again. You're lucky I dropped my coin," Alex smiled. Helga and Arnold nodded, saying nothing. When the group continued down the mountain, Helga stopped Arnold.

"You know, we haven't done the secret thing in a while, Football Head," she whispered.

Arnold laughed. "Something tells me that if everyone knew, we'd never hear the end of it. . . So, secrecy it is."

**A/N: This chapter's title comes from the song "I'll Be Max, You Be the Monster" by Farewell Fighter.**


	10. They'll Never Learn, Will They?

**Love Is Like A Baseball Bat**

_Chapter Ten: They'll Never Learn, Will They?_

"Throw harder!" Diedrek yelled from the van at the bottom of the mountain. Since he finally had his team back together, he decided to do one more practice before the game tomorrow against Peru's team.

Helga squared her shoulders and threw the ball, releasing a muffled grunt. Edmund caught the ball and tossed it to Arnold who pitched it back to him.

Thad continued to laugh as he watched the two pitching. He may be totally crazy, but he knew exactly what happened between Arnold and Helga. He couldn't explain why, but he just knew.

The rest of the team was clueless as to what had happened. Arnold had provided the explanation of almost falling off the mountain, then finally deciding to fall and sleeping on the ground. He never mentioned what they had said or really done, and Helga was fine with that. They wanted to keep it all a secret.

"Alright, boys, batter up!" Helga barked as she twisted her hips back before throwing her leg forwards. Thad continued to smile as he stepped forwards.

It was going to be long practice.

**H-A!-H-A!**

Gerald waved his hand in front of Arnold's face for the second time in the past minute. Arnold was completely focused on being unfocused. There was nothing outside except flat, dead countryside. "Dude? Arnold, snap out of it!" Gerald pushed Arnold's head into the bus window.

"What?" He rubbed his head.

"What are you thinking about?"

"Nothing," Arnold quickly adjusted his position, moving away from the window.

"Arnold, I've never seen you like this. It's been three days. What the hell happened in the forest?"

"Nothing." A broad smile revealed that Arnold was lying.

Gerald quickly looked around. Everyone else was sleeping except the driver. "Tell me!"

"I can't."

"Arnold, I'm your best friend. You can tell me anything," Gerald smiled, "And I'm assuming what ever happened in the depths of the forest was amazing because you have not stopped smiling since then. And don't think I don't see the way you and Helga look at each other. Something _big _went down."

"Gerald, what happened between Helga and I will stay between Helga and I, okay?"

"No way, man. You two tried that last time and I was the first to find out. Of course, you made it last longer than three days. "

Arnold looked around the bus. Everyone else really was asleep. The team had won against Peru, which wasn't a surprise, and flown to Portugal. Now they were driving from Lisbon, the capital of Portugal, to Spain. It was a six hour bus ride and they were driving at night. They were only about an hour out of Lisbon, now. Arnold found it hard to sleep with the constant time changing. Even going from Portugal to Spain would throw off another hour in his already messed up sleep schedule.

Arnold thought for a moment. How to phrase this delicately? There were only so many ways to say you had sex with your no-longer-ex-girlfriend after falling off a mountainside.

Gerald, despite the fact that he was nice to her, still held a slight grudge against Helga. Arnold knew he did, even if Gerald would never admit it. Arnold shook his head, he couldn't believe he was going to tell him. He had wanted to, but Helga and Arnold wanted to be kept a secret. Or at least try to stay a secret for a little longer.

"I swear, Gerald, if you tell anyone, I'll send Helga off to kill you." Arnold laughed, but he was serious.

"Oh, geeze, you really are serious. What the hell happened?"

Arnold lowered his voice, whispering what happened. Gerald gasped, "You and Helga ha-" Arnold forced his hand over Gerald's mouth to shut him up. Gerald had raised his voice.

"Shhh, Gerald!"

Gerald bit Arnold's hand and laughed. "_Damn, _man. I mean. . . seriously?"

"Yeah."

"Seriously? Like you and Helga? I just. . . don't believe it. I mean, I always knew it would happen, I just figured you guys would've been together."

"Well. . .funny thing about that, too," Arnold laughed.

"Shut up! You're back together?" Arnold nodded. "Yes! No more angry Helga during practice! Everything will go back to smooth sailing."

"No, it won't. We're still a secret, remember?"

"Why do you guys keep insisting on staying a secret? Everyone's gonna realize eventually. Or you'll just kiss her in public again."

Arnold sighed. "Because if Alex and Diedrek found out, they'd work hard to keep us apart, you know, since they'd assume we'd only be having sex."

"But you won't?"

"Gerald, I actually want my relationship with Helga back, regardless of the fact we've had sex. I've wanted to be back with her since we broke up. The fact that we had sex won't change anything."

"Whatever you say, Arnold, whatever you say."

**H-A!-H-A!**

"Alright boys, and Helga, listen up!" Diedrek smiled as they approached their hotel in Barcelona. The Jays were playing _Los Toros, _The Bulls, in one of Barcelona's bull fighting rings. The Bulls had promised it would be a baseball field before their game. "We're here for a week and I don't want any shenanigans. It's going to take a lot to turn a bull fighting ring into a baseball field, and I said we could help if it was needed. No one's responded, yet, so I'm not sure what we'll do with that."

Alex continued, "And we're not going to have any time to practice until the field is ready, so we have at least five days without anything planned. We will start practice as soon as it's ready. But, until then, you guys will not wander around alone, okay?"

"We're not little kids," Wolfgang rolled his eyes.

"This is a foreign country. There are people who will rob you and take advantage of you. I just want you all to be careful, okay?" The team nodded. "And, for the love of God, watch Helga."

"Hey, I don't need a babysitter," she protested.

"So far," Alex began counting on his fingers, "you've gone skinny dipping in the ocean at night, been attacked by jellyfish, and fallen off a mountainside. Any more of your 'shenanigans' and we'll be in big trouble."

"We'll watch her, Coach," Ludwig laughed.

"I'm serious, you guys. Helga just always seems to get into trouble."

"I'll be good, Alex. I swear. I won't do anything wrong." Arnold couldn't help but roll his eyes.

"Okay. We'll you guys can go explore, curfew is one a.m. until practice starts."

"_Perdona me, Señora, pero necesitó direcciones al Hotel del Mil Flores_." Arnold smiled, proud of himself. He could speak Spanish rather well, despite the fact he never paid attention in class. The rest of his group stood a few feet away, watching intently as the frail old woman stopped watering her flowers.

The woman smiled brightly, her brown eyes lighting up. She quickly slowed her speech, realizing they were American tourists. She began talking with her hands, pointing in the right direction, "_Sí, claro, mi hijo! Doble a la derecha y camine por tres o cuatro minutos. Después, doble a la izquierda. Es en el centro del calle."_

_"Muchas gracias, Señora, por su ayuda."_

_"¡Valle! ¡Adiós!"_

Arnold turned back to Helga, Gerald, Iggy and Thad and flashed them a thumbs , after wandering Barcelona for the afternoon, they had managed to get lost. Arnold and Helga both took Spanish in school, so they could at least read street signs and maps. It was Arnold's idea to ask a local, and after a quick argument with Helga, he was chosen to be the one to speak Spanish.

"Nice work, Football Head. I could almost understand what you were saying," Helga laughed.

"People are actually really friendly, here. I figured someone would come chasing after us with a gun for talking to locals," Thad smiled.

He spoke too soon.

As the kids walked back towards their hotel, Gerald noticed a few stern faces out of the crowd. They were following closely behind them, wearing black pants, blue collard shirts and caps with an indistinct insignia on it.

"¡_Los niños! ¡Parada!"_

Arnold and Helga exchanged worried glances. They wanted them to stop. "¡_Corre!" _Arnold forgot no one knew Spanish. _"_Run!"

The men quickly began chasing them as they neared their left turn to get to their hotel. Gerald, thinking quickly, directed them to the right, taking them far away from safety and their coaches.

"Why are they after us?" Gerald panted. They were running down an alley way, brick buildings narrowing on either side of them.

"No idea! Keep running!" Arnold replied, glancing back. The men were a few steps behind still. _Thank God for all of the baseball practices!_

Helga turned back too. She watched as the men began to gain on them. She was falling behind, and she quickly ran into a café table, knocking it over. _Damn it, _she thought as she struggled to get back to her feet. She felt a hand wrap around her wrist and pull her upwards.

"Come on!" Arnold screamed as he neared Gerald, Iggy and Thad's hiding spot. He quickly pressed Helga to the wall, covering her body with his. They were pressed up against the wall on the last building in the alleyway. From a distance, it looked like a dead end.

Helga felt heat rush to her cheeks as Arnold and Helga's panting chests met with each breath. Luckily, everyone else's eyes were closed as they collapsed against the wall, trying to calm down.

_"¡Ay, Dios mio!" _a Spanish cop panted as he cornered the group._ "¿Son estúpidos, no?" _He turned to the other two men, who surrounded the five teens.

"_¿Por qué vosotros?" _Helga asked why he was chasing after them.

The man shook his headand pointed to Thad.

_H-A!-H-A!_

"Arrested? Is this a joke? How the hell did you manage to do that?" Diedrek pressed his palm to his forehead. These kids were a nightmare.

"Apparently, _Curly _managed to touch some ancient, special, religious fountain or something. I don't know, I wasn't there. I can't understand the police that well. Luckily, they had an English speaking Commanding Officer. He said since we were 'harboring a fugitive' we all have to spend a night in jail," Helga rolled her eyes.

"This is so-" Diedrek's angry curse words were broken up by static from the jail's bad reception, "-ridiculous. You guys will not see the light of day when you get out of there. We'll pick you up in the morning. Where are you?"

Helga gave her coach the address of their prison, in the basement of the police station just outside Barcelona, and returned to her cell. The guard laughed as he slid the bars shut.

"I swear to God, Curly, you are so. . ." Helga released a frustrated breath as she collapsed onto the ground. Their cell was empty and large enough to hold all five of them a comfortable distance from each other. There was no furniture except one small metal bench.

Thad jumped off the bench, "You shouldn't be talking you rule breaking, skinny dipping, mountain jumping, complete and utter bi-"

"Thad, enough!" Gerald screamed before Arnold could. Gerald didn't want any bloodshed in the cell.

Iggy rubbed his temples but remained silent. He figured one of the five had to stay sane, it might as well be him.

"Fighting isn't going to get us anywhere," Arnold said as he stretched out across the floor, staring at the ceiling, even though his fists coiled with rage. He was thankful that Gerald had stopped Thad at just the right time.

The white paint on the walls and ceiling was fading and chipping. The group fell silent as night approached. The small window near the ceiling let in a small amount of starlight. They were far enough away from the city that the noises or lights weren't heard or seen. No one had spoken in a few hours.

Finally, Thad broke the silence, "Can anyone sleep?"

"Nope," the four others replied from the floor. They all sat up, looking at each other. Somehow Arnold and Helga had ended up next to each other.

Helga picked up on Gerald's smile towards the two and immediately knew Arnold had told Gerald. She wasn't surprised, or mad either. She had just hoped it would've lasted longer. But what could she do? She was too tired to fight about it anyways. The time change wasn't working well with her. She felt like a different person: constantly tired and unwilling to fight unless she was pushed over the edge. Normally, she would've chewed Thad out for a longer time and beaten him up.

"So, what are we gonna do now?" Iggy asked.

"Since sleep is out of the question, why don't we do something fun?" Thad asked.

The four teens stared at their crazy teammate.

Helga's anger suddenly returned. "What is there to do in a _jail cell? _God, Curly, sometimes I don't think you think things through." Helga glared at him.

Thad returned to his sleeping position on the bench, "Those are fighting words, Helga."

"Well, maybe I want to fight the little weasel who got us stuck in jail!" Helga rose to her feet.

Arnold, Iggy and Gerald remained sitting on the ground, motionless. Arnold wanted to stop Helga, but he didn't want to end up being smacked. He had learned that when Helga got angry, the best thing to do was let her let it all out.

"Hey, it's not totally my fault! You guys had to run!"

"Because we didn't know why the cops were chasing us!"

"I thought you knew Spanish, Helga. I guess you're just dumber than I thought."

Gerald and Iggy couldn't help but laugh. Arnold kept his hand over his mouth, not only to prevent laughter, but because he couldn't believe Thad was standing up for himself. Thad was usually quiet, with only a few crazy, wild outbursts about Rhonda and freeing animals.

"Why you little -" Helga growled her last word. "I will kill you!" She quickly jumped on top of him, striking him in the chest. "I hate you Curly!"

Now, Arnold and Gerald were on their feet, trying to pull Helga off of him. Thad was simply laughing like a maniac as Helga struck him. Of course it hurt, but any cries of pain would draw attention to their cell. Iggy still remained motionless, just watching the violence unfold.

"Helga! Helga! Stop!"

Finally, Arnold had a grip on Helga's arms. "Let go!" she roared.

"Not until you calm down," Gerald said as Arnold pulled her off of Thad. He wrapped her arms tightly around her, preventing any sudden movements.

Helga shut her eyes and tried to steady her breathing. It felt good to let all of her anger go, and be in Arnold's arms again.

She had been secretly mad at the team for a few days since they had been constantly whispering about Arnold and Helga behind their backs. All of it was just rumors, but it still hurt. They were her _team, _they shouldn't be gossiping about her like a bunch of middle school girls. And Thad had started it all.

"Next time, _baby cakes_, don't fight when you can't win."

Arnold's grip went even tighter as Helga tried to move forwards. He didn't even know it was possible to hold her any tighter without suffocating her.

"Thad, Helga, stop it, both of you! You're both friends." Helga snorted. "Okay, well, maybe not friends, but teammates. You two have known each other forever, and you need to stop fighting. We just have to make it through a few more hours in here, then you can go your separate ways until game day. Okay?"

Thad laughed. "Don't try to protect your nice reputation, Arnold. Don't assume I don't know."

"Know what?" Arnold was confused. Thad was acting crazier than usual.

He rolled his eyes before responding, "That you and Helga had sex."

The jail cell went quiet.

The tension in the room was cut by Iggy. "Shut up!" he laughed. "Oh, my God!"

Arnold slowly removed his hands from Helga's waist and stepped back, falling against the wall. His eyes went towards Gerald, who shrugged in response, eyes wide. _How does he know!_

"How. . .What?"

"I may be crazy, but I'm not an idiot. Besides the fact that it's so painfully obvious you're back together, there are physical signs. I can tell with Helga's hips. When she pitched yesterday, they shifted-"

"Okay, stop!" Helga cut him off. "Don't do your weird psycho science crap, Thad!" Her anger was rising again. She was so tired of being angry all the time now. She was back with Arnold, why couldn't she be happy? _Because we're keeping it a secret, right, _her mind answered.

"Ah, so it's true!" Iggy laughed again.

Helga clenched her fists. This day was just insanely awful. "Okay, okay, you know what? I'm done with all of this secrecy."

Arnold bit his lip. He knew this wasn't good. He could tell from the way Helga looked at him that she had finally snapped.

She began pacing around the room, occasionally looking up at Thad as she spoke, "You know what, Thad? For practically my entire life I've kept secrets. I've hidden _every single thing about me _because I'm afraid, okay? I'm afraid of rejection and being disappointed and being hurt! My parents were horrible people who didn't care about me one way or the other. I had no one to talk to. It made me fear that people won't accept me, so I got angry before they had the chance to blow me off! But this past year everything changed. For whatever reason, Alex picked me to be on the baseball team. And then I finally dated the boy of my _dreams_, then get it all ripped away from me because my father is an asshole! And then I finally think that I have_ friends_ who care about me because they risked their lives to save me. But, just when my life couldn't get any better, some slut comes in and tears my heart right out from my chest. And then after months of sheer torture, I almost die by getting stung by jellyfish and falling off a mountain. That's when I realized my life was too damn short to live it being miserable, so I decided to have sex with the guy I'm in love with. Do you think that wrong, Thad?"

She paused, but cut Thad off before he could speak, "Do you think I even care what you think? Of course I don't! I've loved Arnold since we were three and now that we're finally back together, I'm not going to let an asshole like you ruin our relationship now. Our coaches would freak if they knew about Arnold and I, so we're keeping our mouths shut. I don't care if the whole freaking world knows, just as long as Diedrek and Alex don't find out, okay?"

Gerald and Arnold simply met eyes as Iggy and Thaddeus' jaws fell open. Gerald was used to Helga's crazy confessions after her first one to him a few months ago. Arnold didn't mind her wild moments. He actually loved them, it made him realize how passionate Helga could be. Whether she was talking about herself or fighting for something she believed in, her crazy speeches were always somewhat uplifting in a strange, hard-to-explain way.

"_Wow!_"

Helga let out a breath before falling to the floor against Arnold. "There. My secrets are out, I'm done."

Arnold took Helga's hand in his and kissed her cheek and whispered, "I'm proud of you." He knew how hard it was for Helga to be honest. It took her six years to admit her feelings for him. Keeping secrets was what Helga did.

Iggy finally shut his mouth. "So, you two are back together." Arnold nodded. "And you knew about this?" Iggy pointed accusingly to Gerald.

"I found out a few days ago," Gerald threw his hands up.

"Who's gonna tell the team?"

"I don't care, as long as our coaches never find out," Helga muttered before closing her eyes and falling asleep in Arnold's arms.

"Do you even care? Did you even think that for one second you were doing something wrong?"

None of the teens responded.

"Why do you guys do this? Do you want me to die from all of this stress you put me under? I can't handle you guys always getting into trouble! If one of you isn't getting hurt, the other one is getting into more trouble!. . . This are supposed to be my retirement years, not the years that kill me!" Diedrek ripped his cap off and threw it to the dirt.

"We're sorry," the group of five half-smiled at their coach as he picked up his dusty hat.

They took their punishment and began running up and down the stairs in the bull fighting arena. The rest of the team was helping out by laying squares of grass all around the ring while _Los Toros _scrubbed off blood from the sides of the lower wall. The Hillwood Jays only had six more days left in Spain, and they still didn't know when they'd play.

_H-A!-H-A!_

"Hey, uh, Arnold?" Diedrek knocked on Arnold's hotel door, his cell phone in hand. It was almost midnight but everyone returned to the hotel after their ten o'clock dinner. The day at the ring had been a success, all of the grass was down and the clay would be set up tomorrow by _Los Toros. _It still was unclear when the game would start, though.

Arnold quickly opened the door and smiled. After running up and down the flights of stairs all day, he was a little tired, but he was bouncing back faster since he was used to rough punishments.

Diedrek said nothing, instead he handed off his phone. Puzzled, Arnold looked at the number. It was an unknown number with the Hillwood area code. He quickly pressed the phone to his ear, "Hello?"

"Arnold? It's Ernie." Arnold hadn't heard from Ernie in a few years, not since he moved out and got married. His voice still sounded the same, though.

Arnold hesitated. His stomach felt like steel as he tired to find his voice. "Is something wrong?"

"Yeah, uh. . .you need to come home. It's urgent."


	11. Tears? At A Time Like This?

**Love Is Like A Baseball Bat**

_Chapter Eleven: Tears? At A Time Like This?_

Arnold wanted nothing more than to feel Helga's hand wrapped in his as he disembarked his plane early the following morning. He was back in Hillwood, dreading whatever he was going to see. As the taxi pulled up outside his home, he felt a knife drive through his heart.

The Sunset Arms Boarding House had been turned into a concrete slab covered in ashes and broken wood. And to add insult to injury, his grandparents were trapped in the flames, unable to escape from a fallen beam. The firemen had tried to save them, but the smoke had become too much for their old lungs and they were extremely burned.

Arnold was completely alone and homeless. As he stared at his old house, he found himself wishing he had been there, wrapped up in the flames and far away from the pain of seeing it now.

All of the neighborhood turned out to see Arnold's arrival home. All of his classmates, old friends, neighbors, everyone except the baseball team, had shown up and filled the streets. He didn't even tell the team he was leaving.

Arnold was first wrapped into a tight hug from all of his classmates. Arnold bit his tongue to hold back tears as a few hundred more people hugged him and apologized for his loss.

Most of the morning continued like that, until finally Ernie, The Kokasha's, and Mr. Hyunh dismissed everyone. Arnold slowly stepped forwards, going up the steps one at a time and walking through the axed-in door. The white frame was still standing, only the top was missing and it was charred black. The foundation was still strong, only slightly burnt. The stairs had collapsed first, it appeared, and it all just seemed unreal. Half of the outside of the house was missing, there was barely a ceiling and the furniture was burned beyond repair. The only thing left was the Packard in the garage behind the house.

"The firemen gathered up everything that wasn't burnt. We put it in boxes and it's all at Helga's house," Ernie called to Arnold. Miram had offered to take all of the stuff in and let Arnold stay there since no one would be in the Pataki home all summer.

Arnold simply nodded as he walked through the house. Broken glass and wood was scattered everywhere as the land reeked of burnt rubber and gasoline from the kitchen.

No one was sure how the midnight fire started. The firemen assumed a gas leak, or an electrical fire. There was no sign of a forced entry or forced flames. It had all been a terrible accident.

Ernie drove Arnold to Helga's house, silence the only sound heard. "I'll pick you up tomorrow afternoon. Will you be okay on your own tonight?"

"Yeah, thanks Ernie," Arnold replied as he slammed the door shut. He walked up the stairs of the familiar home and took the key off the doorframe.

He stepped inside and maneuvered around the two stacks of boxes and made it to the couch. He kicked off his shoes and shut his eyes.

Sleeping was impossible. Arnold found himself staring at the ceiling, wishing he could cry and let it all out.

But he couldn't.

He rose to his feet and began pacing, his thoughts overrun with memories of his grandparents. Every time his grandmother called him 'Kimba'. Every time his grandfather told him to never eat raspberries. Every messed up holiday, every practical joke they had played over the years. . .

Arnold stepped into the kitchen. For a moment, he considered turning to alcohol. He had never had a drink before, but he just wanted to numb the pain. Then he remembered Miram was sober, which was probably the reason she let him stay here. So he wouldn't get in trouble.

He collapsed against the counter, still not crying. He knew there was nothing wrong with crying.

He just couldn't believe they were gone.

_H-A!-H-A!_

Gerald ran down the hallway, banging on all of his classmates doors. He even tried to wake up Alex and Diedrek, but neither came to the door. He was trying not to panic. It was early the next morning, almost six a.m.

"What is wrong?" Helga barked.

"Arnold's no where to be found. His bags are gone and everything," Gerald panted as all of the doors opened.

"_What_?"

Alex stepped into the hallway. "Where's the fire?"

"Where is Arnold?" Gerald and Helga demanded.

Alex scratched his head as the team all surrounded him. "Uh. . .this is something your _head _coach should handle," Alex shut his door then reopened it with Diedrek.

"What's wrong?"

"Where's Arnold?" Helga stepped closer to Diedrek.

"Uhm. . .well, he had to go home. There was an accident."

"Well, then what are we doing here? We have to be there for him!"

"He said he didn't want us to give up. I gave him my credit card and he left yesterday as soon as he found out what happened." Diedrek then explained the horrible situation.

"Coach, you can't be serious. . . We can't stay here!"

"He said he wanted us to."

"Who cares what he wants!" Helga stepped into the middle of the hallway, her teammates circling around her. "It's Arnold! He's been there for all of us for everything! He's helped us all with our problems, always listened to us and made sure we were okay! He's our teammate and more importantly our friend! We have to get back to Hillwood to help him!" She stepped back into Diedrek's face. "I'm going wether you want me to or not!"

Helga quickly returned to her room, grabbed her bag, then rushed out the door.

"Well. . .shit." Diedrek laughed, "Guys, pack up! We're going home!"

After an excruciating seven hour flight back to Hillwood, the team was tired. Helga quickly got a taxi to her house. She planned on dropping off her bags, then she'd go out to find Arnold.

She was shocked to step inside and see Arnold sprawled out on the couch, shirtless with his face was twisted like he was in pain. She quietly closed the door and tiptoed up the stairs.

Arnold's eyes flew open as he threw his body forwards off the couch and to the ground. He sat up quickly, noticing a pink baseball bag resting on the floor.

His heart lifted slightly. "Hello?"

He heard a door shut then the sound of two feet running across wood floors. He saw a quick flash of blonde before feeling her arms wrap around him tightly.

His voice became harsh, "I thought I told you to stay in Spain."

"At a time like this? Are you crazy? We have next year to win World's Best Baseball Team, anyway." Helga half-smiled.

"Thank you for not listening to me." She kissed his cheek and hugged him tighter. Arnold was surprised to hear himself laugh, "Why are you in a towel?"

"I was about to get in the shower, but you woke up."

He released her from the hug, "Well, I'm awake and okay. Go shower and I'll go make us food. I haven't eaten all day."

"You sure? Because we could just order something. You don't -"

Arnold's smile turned mischievous, "I have Diedrek's credit card."

"Dinner on Coach?. . .You're evil, you know that?"

"Only when you're around," he winked. "He said use it as needed. I'l give it back to him tomorrow," he crossed his heart, "Scouts honor." Helga rolled her eyes as she climbed the stairs to her shower.

**H-A!-H-A!**

"Arnold? I'm Henry Dugly, your grandparents' lawyer. This is for you," the tall, grey haired man handed Arnold a manilla envelope before walking away. Arnold sat down in the lawn chair and quickly opened the envelope.

It was after the burial service. Arnold loosened his tie as he glanced at the emptying graveyard. Everyone he had ever known showed up, wearing black and staring at the two holes in the ground.

Arnold was surprised that he still hadn't cried. It had been four days since he heard the news, but he still hadn't cried. He had shed a few tears, but he hadn't felt the sweet release of crying and screaming in utter pain. He just needed one really good cry and he'd be okay.

He glanced over to the right and standing under the tree was the baseball team, the boarders and a few more assorted people. They were all waiting to go to the Lloyd's house for a luncheon. Rhonda had insisted on having it at her place.

Arnold then turned down towards the envelope. The only thing that fell into his lap was a hand written letter. He slowly unfolded it, biting his lip as he read his grandfather's words.

_Well, Short Man, if you're reading this, it means your grandma and I are gone now. I know you're all grown up, or in the process of it, but we just wanted to say that we love you very much and we're extremely proud of you. You're an amazing kid, Arnold. Your parents would've been proud, too._

_Now, don't spend your time feeling torn up about our deaths, okay? We lived our lives to the fullest, doing everything we wanted to. You have to promise me you'll enjoy the rest of your life, okay, Arnold? Great._

_The real reason I'm writing to you is because I'm giving you full ownership of the boarding house._

Arnold re-read the last sentence over and over again. He owned the boarding house? _It's not there anymore, Grandpa, _Arnold thought sadly as he continued reading.

_The place may need a lot of work, but it's yours now. So do with it what you will, we trust you completely. That's all we really had to say._

_Don't ever forget that we'll always love you. See you later, Arnold. We'll be watching out for you._

Arnold turned the letter, only to feel a smile grow as tears ran down his cheeks.

_P.S. Don't ever eat raspberries._

He gently folded the letter and slid it into his pocket. He wiped away tears as he rose from the chair and walked towards his friends.

The biting cold woke his senses as the ice water burned the back of his throat. He wiped the sweat off his forehead before turning back to the baseball field.

"He shouldn't be out here," Alex turned his back to the team and faced Diedrek.

"People grieve in different ways. He doesn't have to cry and be an emotional wreck. If he wants to play baseball in this awful summer heat, we can't stop him," Deidrek smiled before blowing his whistle, rounding up the team.

Ludwig and Torvald stopped catching and walked over towards the coach. The rest of the team followed behind Wolfgang. Arnold was the last one to reach the huddle.

"Okay, we're gonna have Helga pitch to everyone. First person to hit off of her gets a surprise. And since Arnold was last to the round up, he gets to go first."

Arnold laughed as he walked up to the plate.

"I _really_ don't think he should be here," Alex spoke through his teeth as he watched Arnold's anger rise. He continued to strike out and Alex saw anger in his eyes. "This isn't good."

No one expected what happened next.

Arnold threw his bat to the dirt and marched over to Helga on the mound. He began _screaming_ at her as tears formed in his eyes. Profanities were mixed in with the occasional clean word. "I can't believe it, you fu-" his angry words fazed in and out for her. Helga kept her face strong, eyes locked with his. She knew he was finally accepting his grandparents death. She understood where he was coming from. Anger was a way to hide feelings, and she knew that all too well. He didn't mean any of it. But she felt slightly scared as he stepped closer to her. "I hate this team! I hate my life and I hate keeping secrets!" Arnold screamed.

Gerald covered his open mouth. "Oh, no!" He looked to the team, who were all frozen in shock. He quickly ran over to his best friend. "Don't do it, man."

Arnold marched over to Diedrek and Alex. Helga quickly ran behind him.

"Look, let me stop you right there, Arnold," Deidrek rested his hand on Arnold's shoulder. "We know you and Helga are back together. You guys suck at keeping secrets." Alex laughed. "And more importantly, you've been over working yourself for the past three days at baseball, trying to keep your emotions locked up. You even went to practice on the day of your grandparents funeral. You need to go sleep." Diedrek removed his hand and stepped aside.

Arnold stormed off the field.

The field remained silent. "Well. . .who's next?" Helga asked as she twirled the bat in her hand.

"Are you just going to stand there or are you going to follow him?" Ed asked. Helga turned and faced her team, who all stood with their arms crossed over their chests.

"Go, Helga, we can manage the rest of practice," Wolfgang nodded off in the direction Arnold had walked in.

Arnold was slumped against the boys locker room floor, crying. He was hiding under the wall-covering mirror, back slumped against the four foot wall. He felt like an idiot. Not only did he just scream bloody murder at his girlfriend for no reason, he actually felt angry, twisted with emotions. As he stormed off the field, all he could think about was his grandparents being lowered into their graves. The images haunted him.

He heard the door swing open and he stopped crying. He looked up to see Helga standing over him.

His voice cracked as he spoke, "Helga, look, I'm sorry about that. I was rude and -"

"Arnold, it's okay. I can handle anything you dish out. I'm a Pataki, for Mighty Pete's sake. I'm tougher than I look. What really matters is that you're okay."

"Yeah. Maybe. I don't know."

Helga collapsed beside him. She gently rested her hand on his shoulder. "You have to remember, you always found the bright side-"

"_Bright side? _There is no fucking bright side to this!" Arnold's throat burned as tears stained his cheeks. He raised his voice, "My grandparents are dead, my house is completely destroyed and I don't have parents! I'm _alone_!"

Helga dropped her hand and shut her eyes. She couldn't imagine the pain he was suffering. "You're not alone, Arnold. You have me and Gerald, the team, the school and the entire neighborhood. You'll never be alone."

Arnold turned his back to Helga as he stared at the wall. "None of those people are my family. None are flesh and blood. None of them were the two people I looked up to most in the world, the two people who loved me more than anything and gave me advice and tucked me in and mixed up holidays or taught me how to fish. Not one of them ran the boarding house or helped me when I was in too over my head." Arnold's words were broken by his tears. Helga quickly wrapped him into a hug and let him cry on her shoulder.

"I could have a million people in the world here for me. . .but it wouldn't be the same," he mumbled before wrapping his arms around her waist.

Helga said nothing. She just stroked his hair and let him cry his broken heart out.

**H-A!-H-A!**

"Don't feel too bad losers, we'll be back," Wolfgang laughed.

It was early August, two weeks before school was set to start. Edmund, Torvald, Ludwig and Wolfgang were leaving for their respective colleges during the week and wanted to say goodbye to their team.

"You know, I'd never thought I'd ever say this, but I actually am going to miss you guys," Ludwig wrapped his arm around a sophomore's shoulder and locked him in a friendly head lock.

"We'll miss you too. Now it's just the six sophomores and us," Helga smiled as she tried to warm up before hitting.

"Actually, we're juniors."

Helga stopped swinging for a moment. She looked at her classmates - Lorenzo, Iggy, Thad, Gerald and Arnold - and smiled. "Holy crap! That means we're _seniors _you guys!" The boys shrugged. "Huh, I guess being one year away from freedom means more to girls than guys, I guess."

Alex laughed. "Yeah, pretty much."

"So, we'll see you guys during winter break, right? Gonna come hit a few in the snow?" Diedrek smiled.

The GW Alumni smiled. "Of course. 'Bye guys." The team all shared a quick group hug before the boys left the field.

"Oh, I have to go too," Arnold picked up his bag and started walking away.

"Woah, where are you going?" Alex asked.

"I have to go meet Ernie and the building team. We're finishing painting today."

"Well, have fun with that. We'll see you tomorrow, right?"

"No. We're moving in furniture and stuff. Ernie put out a few adds to get people to come move in and there's a family expecting a house ready by the time school starts, so I won't be able to make practice." He walked over to Helga and kissed her goodbye before leaving.

"Jeeze, he's gonna have a tough next couple years, huh?"

"Well, _duh."_

Arnold smiled as the team of forty or so construction workers began painting the outside of the Sunset Arms Boarding House it's signature red. Arnold dipped his brush into the bucket of paint beside him. He was painting new signs, "No Kids. Pets OK."

"Alright, I think one more day of painting inside and we'll be set," Ernie tipped his yellow hard hat to a few of his employees.

"Thanks for doing this."

"Are you kidding, Arnold? I've been wanting to fix up the house since I moved in," Ernie laughed. "Don't worry. In a week or so, you'll be able to move all of your stuff in. I went to City Hall and got the old building plans. I made sure your room in the attic was the same."

Arnold smiled, "That's incredible. Thank you."

The transition back into the boarding house was easier than Arnold thought. Mr. Hyunh moved in and promised to run the house when Arnold was at school. The first family to move in was The Jenson's. They had fraternal twins: Amy and John, both fifteen and starting as freshman at George Washington.

Helga couldn't help but laugh when she heard the news, "Seriously? And you're not worried at all?"

Arnold shrugged as he stretched out his arms. It was early Monday morning, the first day of their senior year, and he wanted to pitch a few balls before their morning assembly. "Why would I be?"

"Because they'll probably throw parties or get in your way or fight all the time. Or the girl could fall in love with you, or the guy, you know, whatever."

Arnold smirked, "Ah, so you're jealous that a fifteen-year-old girl is moving into the boarding house."

Helga rolled her eyes as she did a practice swing, "Of course I am! I've seen the girl. She does not look fifteen. She looks like she's eighteen!"

"If it makes you feel any better, I'll avoid being alone with her, even though I really don't think you should worry. You trust me, don't you?"

"Yeah, I trust _you. _And I'm gonna worry, Football Head. But if she even tries anything, I will _not _let you stop me."

"Whatever you say, Helga."

She smiled, "Now, hurry up and pitch, we're gonna be late for school."


	12. New Boarders, New Drama, No Surprises

**Love Is Like A Baseball Bat**

_Chapter Twelve: New Boarders, New Drama, No Surprises_

"I'm not even going to say that I was right."

"Helga, would you _shut your fucking mouth_!" Gerald hissed in a whisper.

Helga smiled, "I knew these kids would be nothing but troub-" she was cut off by a hand wrapping around her mouth. She turned to see Arnold staring at her, green eyes filled with concern and fear.

Panic had struck George Washington High just as the homeroom bell rang. John, the fifteen year old freshman who moved into the boarding house, showed up to school with a gun.

A loaded gun.

And aimed it straight at Arnold's head.

That's a perfectly legitimate reason to freak out and basically have a conniption, but Arnold knew the kid had a lot of issues. John was forced to watch guys basically undress his sister with their eyes every time she walked past, his parents openly favored his sister, he had a hard time adjusting to Hillwood, and he had no self-confidence. He was just a time bomb waiting to explode.

And _explode_ he did.

The entire school sprinted into classrooms, doors locked and phones dialing the police and fire department and S.W.A.T, whoever they could get a hold of.

Helga was forced into a room against her will. She wanted to attack the little freak, but Diedrek was stronger than her.

After the terrifying moment when Arnold realized that he could actually die, he tried to find his voice. "John," he smiled, "I know you're angry and confused, but I think that I can help you."

John's hand was shaking as he brought his finger to wrap around the trigger. "Oh, yeah, how can Mr. Perfect help me?"

"I'm not perfect," Arnold swallowed hard as he heard the strained spring creak.

"That's what they all say. You're life is amazing, even in the worst of times."

"Because I. . .try to find the bright side. I try to stay optimistic. If you even knew half the stuff I've gone through recen-"

"Cheated on your girlfriend, fell off a mountain, house burnt down, grandparents dead, parents still missing. . . Did I forget anything?"

_How did he know all of that? _"No."

"Yet here you are, living your perfect life where everyone loves you."

"A lot of people don't like me."

"Oh, yeah? Name one."

Arnold's eyes grew wide when he realized he couldn't name anyone. He would've said Wolfgang or one of his other past bullies. . . but they had been on the baseball team, so they at least sort-of liked him. "Big Bob Pataki," he whispered.

"Your girlfriend's dad? Well of course he's gonna hate you. You had sex with his daughter."

"Dude, where did you learn all of this?"

"People talk." He wrapped his hand tighter around the base of the gun, stopping his shaking.

"I still. . . Why are you doing this?"

"Because!" he snapped.

"Are you really mad at me?"

"I'm mad at everyone!" John screamed, pressing the gun tighter to Arnold's head.

Seconds later, police stormed the building and whisked Arnold away to a safer location.

The school would remain lockdown for the entire day. Arnold was escorted by police to a classroom, at his request. He didn't want to be alone at the police station. It was how he ended up here, clamping his hand over Helga's mouth. Everyone was afraid to speak. John hadn't been detained or restrained, just pushed back long enough to save Arnold. It was only 10:30 in the morning.

Arnold shut his eyes and removed his hand from his girlfriend's mouth. Sadly, this was the most he'd seen her in weeks.

He rested his head against the wall. In the short two months they had been back at school, his life had been nothing but chaos. And it wasn't just the fact that Amy threw parties every weekend, or that John was crazy. It was also the fact that baseball was ruining his life, and relationship, once again.

* * *

The first day back to school was uneventful. It was still hot, even though it was late August.

Diedrek recruited ten freshman and ten sophomores to come to the first baseball practice that afternoon.

"I'm impressed," Arnold laughed as he approached Alex. Alex stood beside Diedrek as he called out roll. Arnold nodded at John as he stood awkwardly at the end of the line, trying to stay out of sight. The rest of the Jays were given a week off as the new team was chosen.

"We have to weasel out the weak ones. And lucky for you, as co-captains, your opinions matter. Work your magic you two. I'll see you tomorrow with the top ten." Diedrek smiled at Helga and Arnold. He quickly ushered Alex away and let the entertainment begin. The coaches would be hiding in the gym, watching the practice, and hilarity, unfold.

The unsuspecting boys smiled at the couple with their hands intertwined. They looked sweet.

Oh, boy, were looks deceiving.

"Alright, _wimps_, listen up," Helga marched up and down the line, glaring at each of the prospecting players, "the next few hours will be Hell, I can promise you that. I won't go easy on you. If you survive today, punishment will be severe for missing practice tomorrow."

"I had to run for three hours straight. Puked twice," Arnold added. In all honesty, he was enjoying this. Watching the freshmen's faces go pale as Helga continued to rattle off drills that they'd do today was cruel, but so hilarious.

"So the lucky ten of you that survive today will expect that punishment if you do not show up tomorrow. Now, the first warm up: who can beat me in ten laps?" Arnold watched as Helga immediately began running, stunning the students. They all chased after her, no one able to keep up. "That was pathetic! And you call yourselves baseball players?"

Arnold shook his head, continuing to play along by acting disappointed. "Alright, let's see who can pitch."

"I can," a voice called. The rest of the boys fell back against the fence, staring at the young boy who stepped forwards. "I'm Jack Dwayne. I'm sure you've heard of me," he flashed a conceited smile.

"Not even a little bit," Helga snarled. "Let's see what you've got hot shot!"

Jack was taller than most of the boys, he looked to be about five ten. He was definitely more built than the boys, too. He had evenly tanned skin and wore sunglasses over his eyes. He appeared to be very smug about his pitching talent.

Jack stepped up to the mound, grabbing the ball forcefully from Helga's hands. She held up the radar and measured his speed. She stared at the number, heart sinking.

_102 mph. _He did that without even trying.

Arnold noticed Helga tense as she continued to stare at the radar screen. Either the kid was awful, which seemed extremely unlikely, or he was better than her. _Shit, _Arnold thought.

"Alright, everyone take a water break! Coolers are in the other dugout," Arnold pointed to the visitor dugout and waited until all of the boys were gone. Helga turned the screen to Arnold. "Oh. . .shit."

"You know Coach will toss me aside in a nanosecond for this geek!"

Arnold glanced back at the boy. He knew he was good, which only upset Arnold more. "This kid probably got lucky. I'll test the rest of the guys' swings. You test Jackass until his arm falls off."

Helga smiled. "I love this evil side of you."

"All thanks to you," he smirked before jogging to the dugout.

"So, Jack, let's see how _amazing _you are," Helga spat as she tossed Jack a ball. Jack caught it without his mitt and smirked. Helga rolled her eyes. She hated this kid.

Jack continued to pitch at speeds much faster than Helga's. It drove her insane that she couldn't crack this kid. Arnold wasn't watching the boys swing. He was watching Helga's face collapse every time Jack threw a ball.

Diedrek approached the team at the end of practice, "I hope you all know who to cut."

"I've chosen ten kids. I'll have to check with Helga about what she thinks," Arnold replied, making sure to block the view of Jack pitching.

Diedrek heard an angry grunt followed by the _whoosh _of the net. "Who is that?"

"Just Helga," Arnold replied.

"You are a horrible liar," Diedrek shoved Arnold out of the way. He stared in awe at the sophomore baseball prodigy in front of him. Jack continued to pitch, unaware of Diedrek. "You, my boy, are incredible! The best I've ever seen!"

Helga bit her lip and coiled her fists. This kid was so self-centered and full of himself.

"Why thank you Coach. I just try to do my best."

Helga rolled her eyes at his obvious kiss up routine. Diedrek slung his arm around the sweaty boy's shoulder and pulled him close. They walked off the field together, whispering plans for Jack's future.

"I hate him!" Helga roared. She picked up the nearest bat and slammed it into the fence. When she was finally out of energy, she fell onto the fence, digging her shoulder into the links.

"Don't worry. Diedrek will lose interest in him as the season picks up." Arnold hoped Helga couldn't tell he was lying. He hated to admit it, but Jack was _amazing. _He could wipe anyone on their team off the floor in seconds.

"This year was supposed to be great. But it just decides to fall apart before the fun even starts."

_H-A!-H-A!_

Amy Jenson flipped her brunette curls off her shoulder and smiled at the older boys who checked her out. It had been an amazing first week at school. She fit in perfectly with the popular girls. She dressed scantily and it always attracted attention. Guys would simply stare at her as she walked past. She lived for the looks of envy from the ladies and love from the boys.

"I'm thinking about throwing a Welcome to Hillwood party," her dark eyes lit up as she laughed. She sat down at the cafeteria table with John. Even if she was popular, she couldn't let her brother be completely by himself.

John simply rolled his eyes, "Arnold would kill you."

"No, he's cool. He definitely wouldn't care. I bet I could get some football players to bring the alcohol."

"I really don't think you should do this."

"Well, I don't care what you think. I want everyone to know that I've arrived to Hillwood and don't plan on leaving without some mark."

"You're a piece of work," John sighed before turning his attention to his plate of suspicious cafeteria food. John was quickly shoved aside by a few strong wrestlers. The entire cafeteria laughed as his food fell onto his head.

Heat rose to his cheeks as he quickly fled the scene, trying to keep his anger in check. If he had stayed in the cafeteria, he would have certainly tried to knock a few of the boys out.

He had been the reason his family moved to Hillwood. John had been fighting at his old middle school, constantly under the principal's eye. Finally, after pulling a knife on the principal's son, he was expelled. To avoid embarrassment and law suits, his family picked a random location and moved in as quickly as possible.

John rested his hands against the white porcelain sink, trying to steady his breathing. He picked his head up, dark eyes piercing his reflection. He hated this school and was only the second Friday. Baseball only made everything worse because of that Jackass. He thought he was King of the World.

And the way everyone treated his little sister, born only three minutes after him, was enough to make him sick. Why couldn't guys see past her looks? _Because she has no real interests or likes, _he replied, eyes still glaring at himself. He had hoped he'd fit right in at his new school. Arnold had made it sound so easy. But John had to learn the hard way that Arnold was a liar.

The following Monday was the first official Jays baseball practice. Helga, Arnold, Gerald, Lorenzo, Iggy, Thad and the six juniors showed up early and started their usual warm up laps. The boys fell in line behind Helga, acting as if they didn't have ten new teammates.

There were five sophomores and five freshman who survived the week. Fortunately, John was one of the freshman.

Jack Dwayne was on his high horse, laughing as the new boys ran laps. He had been driving Helga nuts. In the hallways he would whistle cat calls, at practice he'd fight her orders delivered from Diedrek. He enjoyed making her mad.

"You're so disgusting," he hissed as she walked past in the hallway towards the field. He loved seeing her cheeks turn red as she shot a death glare. He would never admit it, not even to himself, but he had a crush on her.

"Fuck you," she snarled back.

Jack continued to smile.

Helga finished running shortly after practice began and immediately walked over to Jack. "Get your ass on the field and run ten laps!"

"No."

"_Excuse me_?"

"You heard me, Drama Queen. I am not running ten laps."

"You will get your lazy ass out there or you're off the team!"

"Helga!" Diedrek yelled.

"What?" she screamed back.

"Leave Jack alone and stretch your arm out. You're going to be catching his throws today."

"_What_?"

The field went silent.

"Did I stutter, Pataki? Catch his pitches!"

"I am a captain of this team, Diedrek, I'm no catcher! I can pitch way better than this sophomore ever could!"

"Can you throw at an average of one hundred? Last time I checked, Helga, you could only throw ninety-five."

The boy's jaws dropped. They were actually fighting. Coach Diedrek and Helga were ten steps away from each other, screaming in each other's faces. This was bad. Arnold knew it was so very bad.

Alex was too stunned to stop it.

"I don't believe this," Gerald's jaw hung open.

Arnold shut his eyes. "I have a bad feeling about this."

Helga continued to yell, "Since Jack's so perfect, why don't you make him captain and worship the ground he walks on? Why don't you just forget_ I_ was the one who saved this team from destruction thousands of times in the past year?"

"You've also been injured for half of our games!"

"So you'd rather focus on my mistakes than my winnings?"

"My only mistake was letting you back on the team!"

"Well you don't have to worry anymore! I'm _off the team_!" Helga stormed off, tears welling.

Arnold remained frozen on the field, bat in hand. He was tempted to run up to Jack and smack him upside the head, but he couldn't move. Diedrek stormed off the field too, muttering curse words and running his hand over his balding head.

"Well, alright, looks like I'm head pitcher," Jack smiled.

"Hey, _Jack, _shut up!" Arnold growled as he threw his bat to the ground. "You're a bad person."

"Yeah, so?"

"_So_?"

"Oh, for fuck's sake!" Alex screamed. "Stop fighting!" Arnold turned to face Alex. "Jack warm up and Arnold go find Helga. Gerald, you're in charge until I get back." Gerald high-fived with Iggy, laughed and started the boys stretches.

Helga ran home, sprinting at top speed. Once she made it inside, she opened her bedroom window and threw her uniform into the street. It landed on the sidewalk. She threw her bat through the window, shattering the glass. Arnold's immediate response to the glass on the pavement was panic. He quickly rushed through the unlocked door and up to her room.

Helga was on the floor, head in her hands. She didn't even bother looking up. "I fucking hate my life sometimes."

Arnold stepped inside, "Don't say that."

"I do. I really do," she sighed. "Why do I have to always get so angry all the time?"

"It's who you are. And one of the reasons why I love you."

"Sweet talk won't help me feel any better."

Arnold sat down beside her. "I can see a smile," he teased.

Helga smiled before returning her face to an unamused expression, "Shut up. This is serious."

"Don't worry. Diedrek will come around eventually. Besides, our season starts in the spring. We have plenty of time to remind Diedrek how amazing you are."

At school on Tuesday, Arnold walked with John to his classes, offering some friendship for the new student. Helga was left alone in the hallway, smiling as she watched Arnold make John laugh.

"Hey, bitch."

"Back off, Jackass," Helga slammed her locker shut and stared walking away. Jack followed behind, keeping himself close behind her.

"Diedrek is so impressed with my abilities that he's completely forgotten about you."

Helga laughed, "You're not that good."

"Oh, yes, I am."

"Why don't you go find your fan club or something?"

"We meet Thursday's at lunch. Last time I checked, today was Tuesday."

"Just back off, okay? Leave me alone!"

"Why would I do that? This is too much fun." Helga shoved his shoulder into a locker before walking to her class.

Arnold groaned as Gerald handed him the baseball schedule fresh off Coach's printer.

"We have games every weekend until summer," Gerald rolled his eyes.

"And no less than twice a week. Does Diedrek want us to die?" Arnold crumpled the paper into a ball and threw it into the trash can.

"We're missing everything this year. Homecoming, winter break, half of spring break, prom and we have a game after our graduation!"

"I don't believe it! I think Diedrek's snapped."

"He's not the only one," Gerald replied as his eyes watched Helga storm into class. "Good luck."

Arnold waved his hand in a dismissive manner, sighing as Gerald walked away. Arnold knew it was Jack Dwayne. Again.

Helga sat down beside Arnold and shut her eyes. Arnold was unsure what else to say. He'd already tried telling her to ignore him, avoid reacting to anything he said, and simply going out of her way to avoid him. Obviously, she didn't take any of his advice.

"I can't help you if you won't listen," Arnold whispered, half-smiling at how stubborn she was.

"What can I say? I can't ignore the guy because he follows me and gets me upset."

"Try to not walk alone. Maybe he'll back off if a crowd is there."

For the rest of the day, Helga walked to class with Arnold, Phoebe, Iggy, Gerald and she even went so far as to walk with a few juniors. It was obvious that Jack preferred her alone.

Jack still continued his pompous attitude on and off the field. He still managed to send smug smiles towards Helga in the hallway, even if she was surrounded by people. She would roll her eyes before resuming to ignore him. Jack thought of the entire thing as a game. Jack hoped that Helga would continue to fight him. He loved the battles, but he always won the war.

* * *

Arnold forced his eyes to open. Nothing had changed in the past hour, except the fact that Helga was now asleep on his shoulder. He was afraid to move and wake her up, so he remained motionless, anxious to even breathe.

Arnold could hear the adjustment of heavy protective gear and the clank of metal boots on the linoleum floor. Police, or some higher authority, were on the scene now. Their words were quiet, muffled by the wall. Arnold only hoped that John had given up the gun.

Arnold used his free hand to run his fingers through his hair. He should've seen it coming. The signs were all there. Ever since the weekly parties Amy threw, Arnold should've seen the pain and hate behind John's eyes.

But he couldn't change that now. What was done was done, and now things weren't looking great.

Arnold's mind raced as he tried to think of when things went wrong. . .

* * *

It was the following Friday, the third one of the school year, when things started spiraling out of John's control.

Amy had convinced their parents to go out for the night and explore the town. Mr. Hyunh was also easy to get rid of, he said he wanted to get out for the weekend. Since no one else was in the boarding house, except Arnold, throwing the party was easy.

Amy knew Arnold knew about the party. Rumors had been spread around school all week. She had managed to get the football players to supply kegs, and the swim team would get the hard liquor. Amy would've asked the baseball team, since it was mostly seniors, but Arnold and John were on the team. There was no way John would let her even think about asking one of his teammates.

So, with everything set, Amy mentally prepared herself to play hostess for the evening. She wandered around the boarding house, locking the uninhabited rooms and making sure anything that could be damaged was hidden. Even if Arnold was a high school student, this still was his house.

It was only nine thirty and the party was in full swing. Arnold had heard didn't believe the rumors, so he never expected to see a crowd of kids in his boarding house after baseball practice.

Arnold wasn't in the best mood either. Jack Dwayne had managed to somehow become in charge of the team, ordering all of the poor freshman around like it was his job. Arnold tried to defend them, but only received a punishment lap from Diedrek. After practice, he talked to the freshman, telling them all that he'd stop at nothing to take Jackass down. Arnold still had to give out optimistic advice, even when he wasn't in a good mood. He'd failed his English test and hadn't seen Helga since fourth period.

Arnold stared dumbstruck at the activity outside the boarding house. He could hear the music playing, causing the windows to shake. He could see shadows of people dancing and walking through the curtains and he heard chanting of deep voices, "Chug! Chug! Chug!" Arnold bit his tongue out of anger. John laughed as he climbed out of the Packard.

"She's so dead," John muttered under his breath as he followed Arnold into the house. John decided to leave, heading out for a late movie.

Everyone in the party stared at Arnold, waiting to see his reaction. Instead of yelling and kicking everyone out, Arnold simply walked up to his room and climbed out onto the roof. He didn't want to see anything.

Arnold spent the night on the roof with his head in his hands, eye lids felling like they weighed a hundred pounds. He needed sleep. But he needed to talk to Helga too.

By midnight all the alcohol was gone, and the students were slowly stumbling home. The music was turned off, garbage littered the floor, and only one guest was left besides the hostess. Arnold decided now was a good time to go inspect the damage.

John returned home a few minutes before eleven. He ended up just watching the madness happening around him, avoiding the vomit that spewed from student's mouths and watched the wasted girls dance. He was ecstatic that everyone had finally left.

"Amy Marie Jensen, you're so grounded," John teased as he unlocked his apartment door. He stopped dead in his tracks, "What the fuck!" He yelled loud enough to call Arnold from his bedroom. John had walked in on Amy and Jack making out. _Ew_.The sight was enough to send him off his rocker.

Arnold came running, stunned to see that John had Jack Dwayne pinned up against the wall.

"Let him go!" Amy was crying, trying to pry her brother off. "Stop it, John! Don't do this again!" Arnold intervened, finally managing to remove John from the room. The kid was little but he put up quite a fight. That should have been Arnold's first clue that something wasn't right. . . .

_Bang! Bang! Pop!  
_

Helga's head shot up off his shoulder, but Arnold instinctually pulled her close. The room remained silent as the sound of yelling broke through the walls. Cops shouting in codes could be heard, along with sirens. Obviously no one had taken the gun from John yet.

Arnold's heart was racing in his ears. He could feel his stomach twisting tighter with each ticking second passing on the clock. This day just needed to end.

* * *

Every time someone approached the bat, a sense of fighting was in the air. Arnold would fight to get them out, the batter fighting to get a hit. Arnold wanted to win. Even though he was playing a scrimmage game against the juniors and sophomores and John, he still needed to treat it like a state championship game. Arnold still loved baseball, even if he no longer had the free time to talk with Helga. She always swore she didn't mind, that baseball was important for his future, but he knew it hurt her.

Arnold sighed before bouncing the ball in his mitt. His eyes shot towards the dugout, only to feel the anger rise again. The smug look Jack was flashing him ticked Arnold off. It was just what he needed to deliver the final strike out for the third inning.

Jack watched with spiteful eyes from the dug out. It should've been his shining moment, but _no, _Arnold just _had _to start since it was his senior year. Jack sighed, _Arnold gets everything._

That's when the evil little light bulb flashed above his head. Jack took the moment to quietly slip away from the field towards the school's lockers.

"Hey, Helga," Jack smiled.

Helga glared at him. He still managed to tick her off, even by simply standing near her. "Shouldn't you be at practice?" Helga started walking away.

"Maybe," he replied innocently before ramming her shoulder as she passed. Helga tried to counterbalance the attack only to feel an awkward weight shift on her right ankle.

"You asshole!" Helga shrieked from the ground.

Jack's eyes softened, "Oh my god, are you okay?"

Helga reacted quickly, shoving Jack back. "Unhand me, geekbait! I can handle myself!" Helga rose to her feet, only to fall against a set of lockers. "For fuck's sake," she muttered to herself.

"I'm so sorry!"

Helga laughed, "Since when do you care if you hurt me or not? Leave me the fuck alone!"

"I'm really sorry, Helga. Please, believe me. I'm sorry I'm so mean to you."

Helga laughed. "What's up your sleeve, Jackass? Trying to get me to forgive you for what an asshole you've been?"

"No," Jack replied before diverting his gaze to the floor. Helga started rocking, her weight unbalanced as she tried to apply pressure on her injured ankle. "Woah," Jack pulled her close, trying to hide the love-sick smile creeping it's way onto his face.

"Leave me alone!" Helga screamed again, but before she could get another breath out, Jack kissed her.

Helga quickly kneed Jack where it hurt before running away as fast as she could. Helga ran towards the baseball field. She had to tell Arnold, although she wasn't sure how badly he'd react to this. Either he'd get mad at her, or the idiot who tried to kiss her. As she walked, Helga trying to convince herself that the little shit couldn't get to her.

"Arnold!" Helga hissed as she slammed into the chain link fence. He turned around, confused to hear her voice.

He darted over to her, "What's wrong? You look freaked!"

Helga shuddered, the affects of her awkward moment finally dawning on her. "_Jack kissed me_."

And for a moment, Helga almost felt bad for the poor kid.

The look in Arnold's eyes was murderous. Helga knew he was out for blood.

Arnold _hated_ his senior year.

Helga loved spending the nights at Arnold's house. She loved waking up to him with his arms wrapped around her. But she hated waking up late on the weekends to an empty bed. She glanced at his potato clock, it was 1 in the afternoon. He was off at baseball, hopefully arriving home any minute.

Helga groaned as she rose to her feet. Her ankle was still sore, but Jack was in way worse shape. In a completely random, yet totally awesome, fit of insanity, Thaddeus took a bat to his back. He whacked Jack like a piñata and it was hilarious! Arnold's anger drained when he saw Jack crying on the floor. Diedrek was upset with Thad's actions, but he was also upset with what Jack had done to manipulate Helga and Arnold's relationship.

But there were no issues now. At least, Helga hoped Jack wouldn't be killed at practice today. Wait. . .what was she thinking? That jerk deserved whatever the team threw at him.

Helga cautiously made her way down the stairs, afraid to fall. Once she finally made it to the shower, she relaxed. She could handle this minor injury no sweat.

At least, she thought she could.

"Are you okay?" John screamed.

"No!" Helga screamed back, "I fell and I can't get back up."

"I'm coming in," John yelled and opened the door.

"Don't!" John didn't hear her as he threw the door open. Steam wafted into the air and the bathroom remained hot for a few more seconds until the AC came inside. The water was still running. Helga shrieked,"I'm _naked in the shower_! Where the hell is Arnold?"

"He went to the grocery store after practice. He just dropped me off and left."

"What about Amy?"

"Out with Jack," John answered through clenched teeth. No one had told Amy about the kiss incident since she really seemed to like Jack. John couldn't understand why, he hated his guts. Everyone did.

Helga sighed. "What about your mom?"

"Nope. No one else is home, not even Mr. H's daughter Mai. You're lucky I was walking to my room, otherwise I wouldn't have heard you fall."

"Yeah, real lucky," she replied sarcastically. "How long until Arnold gets back?"

"I don't know, he just left ten minutes ago. Look, if you want I can close my eyes. You can't just stay on the shower floor."

"I'm not letting you help me."

John sighed. "Here," John handed Helga a towel and waited until she wrapped it around herself. "Now will you let me help you up?"

"Just hurry up," she replied as John ripped back the curtain. Helga was laying with her back against the shower handle, towel awkwardly wrapped around her, as water continued to beat down her pale skin.

John bent down and wrapped Helga's arm over his shoulder. He quickly turned off the faucet, shaking his wet hair out. The two awkwardly stumbled across the bathroom floor, only to come face-to-face with Arnold.

"Hey," Helga smiled.

Arnold simply stared at them, puzzled. Five minutes of silence passed, not a word was spoken.

John cleared his throat and slowly removed his hands from Helga's waist, awkwardly stepping back, "She fell in the shower."

Arnold's sense of anger was immediately replaced with concern. "On your bad ankle?"

Helga nodded, face twisted in pain. Arnold surged forwards, wrapping his arms around Helga and picking her up. She curled up tighter into his chest, causing the towel to fall from her chest. The wet towel dripped onto the floor and soaked Arnold's shirt, but he didn't care. John quickly averted his eyes, keeping his attention focused on the floor.

"I'm just gonna -" John pointed to the staircase and darted off.

"How did you fall?"

"I was turning around to get shampoo and just slipped."

"Come on, let's get you dressed and rested," Arnold laughed. "You're such a klutz, Pataki, but I love you anyway."

* * *

Helga's eyes shut again, but not because she was tired. It was out of fear, Arnold could tell. Arnold looked at Gerald and Phoebe, both looked strangely calm. Either they weren't afraid at all, or they were so scared nothing was registering in their minds.

It took all of Arnold's willpower to not just scream at the top of his lungs that he wanted out. He was going crazy locked up in this classroom. He kept thinking about all of the things that had gone wrong in the past two months. It had seemed like a good idea in the beginning, but now it was just torture. He couldn't stop thinking of everything he had put Helga through - the fact that he was never around, especially when she needed him most when Bob finally contacted her.

Arnold finally forced himself to look at the face of the clock. He groaned.

It was only noon.


	13. Big Bob and Big Bombs

**Love Is Like A Baseball Bat**

_Chapter Thirteen: Big Bob and Big Bombs_

Arnold couldn't sleep. The emotional toll of the morning had finally hit Helga, Phoebe and Gerald. Arnold watched Helga sleep, like he had done many nights before, but this time he could swear he saw tears falling from her eyes.

_ Can you cry in your sleep? _Arnold wondered before glancing back at the clock: 1:01 pm.

Arnold sighed, shutting his eyes once more as his thoughts remained glued to the idea of Helga crying. The last time he had seen her do that was when Big Bob Pataki came home...three days ago.

* * *

Arnold could clearly remember the days leading up to the surprise visit. It all started at the end of August. It was now October. Helga had been acting distant, but that was because he had been pretty busy himself. She had been basically living at the boarding house with him, but she would be asleep by the time he'd get home from baseball. Late night practices went until 10:30 under certain circumstances. Occasionally Helga would stay up and wait for him, and on random nights she would be back home with Miram.

Arnold stumbled into the kitchen from the back door, cleats covering the welcome mat with dry brown clay. Luckily, the boys got home at 9:30 that night. He quickly kicked his shoes off and dropped them outside the door, grabbing a Post-it and writing it down, forcing himself to remember them tomorrow. He stuck it to the fridge and grabbed himself a water, back resting against the counter as he looked around. It was so quiet.

There were no more complete boarding house family dinners. No one else had moved in, except Mr. Hyunh's daughter Mai. Mr. and Mrs. Jensen didn't approve of Helga living with Arnold. Amy and John always apologized on their parents behalf, but Arnold didn't really care. But Mr. and Mrs. Jensen, Mr. Hyunh, Mai and Amy always ate dinner together. Helga would stay up in Arnold's room doing homework, or clean up the kitchen.

But Helga wasn't anywhere to be found tonight.

John suddenly stumbled into the room, slipping in his socks on the tiled floor. It was always impossible to walk properly after baseball practice.

"You left your bag in the garage."

"Oh, right, thanks." Arnold smiled and wrote that down on the Post-It note too.

"My mom said there's pizza in the oven for us," John quickly slid across the floor, grinning as he opened the oven.

"Don't hurt yourself," Arnold warned. John smiled and quickly sat down, grateful that someone was looking out for him.

Arnold had always wanted to ask John about his anger issues, but never could bring himself to ask.

Looking back from his current situation, Arnold couldn't help but laugh. His good nature of not prying was his almost-fatal mistake.

While John and Arnold ate pizza in silence, Amy stormed into the room crying and screaming profanities back upstairs at her parents.

"What's wrong?" John asked, clearly uninterested.

"Mom and Dad want me to break up with Jack," she sobbed. Arnold bit into his pizza, saying nothing.

"I agree with them three thousand percent!"

Amy's jaw hung open. "You're my _brother! _You're supposed to side with me on this!"

"Normally I would, but that guy is the biggest asshole ever. He thinks he's the greatest thing to ever walk the Earth. He's the reason Helga's not on the baseball team anymore. He also beats me up every chance he gets."

Amy rolled her eyes. "So?"

"You're _really _an idiot, aren't you?"

Amy had no response. After a minute of unnerving silence, John spoke again. "He's been cheating on you with some girl named Sam."

"What?" Amy cried, tears falling down her face.

Arnold took this shining opportunity to quickly dart out of the kitchen, letting the siblings work out their issues. He hurriedly ran up the stairs, dragging his backpack with him.

After two hours of homework, Arnold took a quick shower and started working on making a list of things to do for the boarding house: getting everyone's rent, paying the utilities bills that were due in a week, figuring out how to plan some sort of holiday thing - even if it was months away. It was almost one am when Arnold finally decided to take a break. He turned on his radio to MJAZZ and tried to empty his mind for a few seconds. The unseasonal October heat beat through Arnold's skylight, even in the darkness of the night he could feel the humidity burning.

The front door of the house suddenly slammed. Arnold jumped up, panicking slightly. He heard feet slamming up the steps, then in a mad fury his door opened. Arnold was surprised to see Helga standing there, body visibly shaking. She was holding a baseball bat in her hand and she looked freaked.

"What's wrong?"

Helga dropped the bat on the floor and ran into Arnold's arm at full speed. He stumbled back at the impact of her face in his chest, but wrapped his arms around her. "Helga, what's wrong?" She was trembling in his arms, tears silently falling.

"_Bob_," she whispered.

Arnold's arms tightened around her, stomach dropping in fear, "What happened?"

Helga stepped back from the embrace and Arnold rested his hand on her cheek, wiping away a few stray tears. She opened her mouth to speak, but was cut off by -"Arnold! Arnold!"

John's voice was loud, and the screaming coming from Mr. and Mrs. Jensen was an indication that whatever was happening wasn't going to end soon. They were probably pissed about Helga's entrance.

"I. . ." Arnold hesitated, looking at Helga as she smiled.

"Go, Arnold. I'll be fine," Helga pushed him towards the door. She was lying through her broken smile, but she knew Arnold couldn't do both things at once. Arnold remained frozen."Go!" The Boarding House came first,_ it always had to come first._

"Don't move," Arnold kissed her forehead before running down the stairs.

After the two-hour long conversation with The Jensens, discussing Helga's wonderful entrance and the actions of Amy and her boyfriend, Arnold was emotionally wiped. But he had to help Helga.

Arnold slowly peeked his head into the room, happy to see Helga curled up in one of his shirts on his bed. All of the lights were turned off and she seemed to be sleeping.

Helga groaned as Arnold slipped out of his clothes, into his pajamas, and into bed beside her. This was the first time she'd slept over in days.

He gently rubbed her back, causing her to cringe slightly at the sudden contact. She eventually relaxed and felt her eyes drooping shut again.

"Helga Geraldine Pataki," Arnold smiled while saying her real name, "what the hell happened with your dad?" Helga rolled over, eyes half open.

"It's like 2 am. Can we talk tomorrow?"

Arnold smiled and kissed her. "I love you."

"I love you too," Helga replied before yawning and returning to sleep. Arnold continued to rub her back until he was sure she was sound asleep.

In what felt like a nanosecond, Arnold's alarm started going off. He had two-a-day practices for baseball, so he had to be at school at 6:30. Helga opened her eyes as she rolled over, watching Arnold as he slipped out of their warm embrace and stepping into his closet.

Two seconds later he was dressed and searching around for his socks. "Go back to sleep," he whispered before setting his alarm for 8:55. Helga didn't have first period anymore, it was a free period now. She smiled, closing her eyes again. "Have fun at baseball."

"We'll talk later, okay? Clearly this discussion is important and-"

"ARNOLD!" John's voice was calling from the Packard.

Arnold slammed his head into his doorframe in frustration. He didn't even have a second to breathe anymore. "-We need to talk about it. I'll see you at lunch, okay?"

"Alright. Bye, Football Head."

But Alex called an emergency meeting at lunch. All Arnold could do was send a quick text apologizing to Helga before discussing the stress the team was putting Diedrek under.

"He's not getting any younger," Alex had said through a smile. "Europe pushed him over the edge health-wise. Any more shenanigans and we're all in deep shit, okay? So that means no more talking back, no more complaints, no more fighting or yelling around him. He's almost 70 for pete's sake! His blood pressure cannot handle stress." The boys agreed to behave themselves, but Jack Dwayne seemed to have forgotten his promise when it was only Alex around.

Arnold ran from the meeting, hoping to catch Helga before the sixth period bell, but she was no where to be found.

Looking back now, Arnold should've gone after her. He should've taken he risk of getting a week's detention for skipping his last two classes. But he couldn't change the past now. He could only deal with it.

Helga was pissed. She left school early, not really in the mood to deal with her history class. She wanted to - needed to - talk to Arnold, but she was just being tossed aside. It was frustrating for her. She knew Arnold was trying his best and his situation put him at a disadvantage for available time, but he didn't even have two seconds anymore.

Helga could hear their shrill voices from two houses down. Her heart rate picked up as she sprinted towards her tree. She needed to get inside without getting noticed. She quickly scaled up the trunk, heart throbbing in her throat.

She should've called the police, but she wasn't thinking.

She threw her backpack to the ground and ran into her bathroom. She felt like vomiting, the nerves from the yelling was shaking her core. She had been so used to the silence. The yelling was something she couldn't take anymore.

Helga slammed her palm into the bathroom door, banging and screaming between choking on tears. "Stop it!"

They couldn't hear her.

She tried again, voice piercing the sudden silence. But the second was gone, and her parent's yelling resumed.

Tears continued to flood down her cheeks, she pulled at her hair and continued to slam on the door and walls. She was weak. After the shock of a drunken Bob showing up on her doorstep unannounced after months, she knew this wouldn't end well. Her body seemed to be acting on it's own, her mind was no longer in control. Helga fell down the wall, trying to think calming things. She needed to stop crying. She was freaking out.

And she didn't know why.

"_You're worthless, Miram! All you do is lay around and drink! You're almost as bad as that girl!" _His drunken words were hurtful. Miram was sober, she had been since the divorce! Clearly, Bob couldn't remember anything when he was drunk.

But if he kept yelling she wouldn't be sober for long. Helga always acted like she didn't see the bottle of wine in the back of the cabinet. Clearly, it was there for a reason.

"Please! Stop!" Helga continued to slam her hands into the wall, breaking through the painted coating and exposing the dry wall. The plaster stuck to her bleeding hand and she stopped screaming. She bit her lip to prevent a painful shout. The pain shot through her body, but she threw the door open and ran.

She could only think of Arnold as the sound of a slamming door echoed through the neighborhood.

Bob and Miram didn't notice that she left.

Helga walked to the school, tears staining her cheeks. Her hand was still bleeding, she didn't notice the pain too much anymore.

"GIRL OFF IN LEFT FIELD!" Jack yelled from home plate as he twirled the bat in his hands. Arnold dropped the ball and turned to see the outfielders surrounding Helga. Iggy, Lorenzo and a junior were all examining her hand.

"Helga! Helga!" Arnold began running off the pitcher's mound.

"What happened?" Iggy asked as he dusted off some of the white plaster. He wiped off some of the blood on his pants, mixing it in with the clay that was already caked on.

"I punched a wall," Helga replied.

None of the guys verbally acknowledge the fact that she was crying. It seemed to be an unspoken rule. They all focused on her bleeding hand and bruised knuckles.

"Don't tell me," Arnold panted.

"_Daddy dearest_," Helga's voice was dripping with rage.

Arnold dismissed the boys, "You guys go back to practice. This is something I should've dealt with yesterday." The boys picked up their gloves and ran in, telling Alex and Diedrek the situation. The baseball players began doing suicides along the baseline, trying to ignore the serious situation on the outfield.

Arnold took her bleeding hand, "Why?"

"I just had a momentary fit of insanity."

"Momentary?" Arnold asked, laughing. Helga cracked a smile. "You showed up last night with a baseball bat in your hands."

"I didn't want to walk the streets without defense," Helga smiled. "Bob just showed up. He's clearly been drinking a lot. They've been fighting for almost two days."

"Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

"Because you're so busy," Helga brought her eyes to the grass.

"Helga, I know I have been. I know that it seems like the boarding house and school and baseball are more important, but you will always be the _most_ important thing to me. I love you. You're the only family I have left. . . .I know I haven't been there for you, especially when you need it, but I'm going to change that." Helga smiled. Arnold held up her injured hand, "Because clearly you need me totally involved in your life."

She laughed, "Shut up, Football Head."

John watched the two from the dugout. Even when Arnold failed miserably at keeping his priorities in order, he still came out looking like the good guy. But when John tells his sister that her boyfriend has been cheating on her, he gets grounded by his parents and a slap to the face from his sister. _Bitch, _John thought while rubbing his still sore cheek. He watched Arnold and Helga share a long kiss, something that clearly could've waited until later.

"Hey, faggot, stop staring," Jack rammed John's shoulder. "We all know you love Arnold, but he _clearly _has no interest."

John remained silent. Arnold was like a brother to him, but if John said anything, Jack would've had a comeback. John bit his lip so hard he broke the skin. "I have every right mind to fucking jump you."

"Why? It's not my fault your sister is the world's biggest _tease_."

John's hand curled into a fist. He bit down again, practically tearing a hole in his tongue. The only image he could think of was the one of the gun sitting in his locker. He had been planning on just blowing his head off, and the gun was a reminder that he could do it whenever he wanted.

"I will fucking murder you in your sleep, Jackass."

Jack spit his Gatorade across the dugout, laughing. "Someone's a little dark. I'm just telling you the truth."

John continued unfazed, "And I'm just about ready to punch you in the face."

"Guys, round up! We gotta get back to baseball!" Diedrek smiled.

Jack saluted John, laughing as he returned to home plate. John remained frozen, anger making his blood boil.

The gun was the only thought on his mind.

But Jack wasn't the person he imagined shooting. _Tomorrow, _he promised himself, _Tomorrow._

* * *

Helga's head shot up at the sound of an echoing _slam_! Arnold picked his head up off of Helga's and looked around. Helga nudged Gerald with her foot and he quickly bolted up.

"What?" he whispered.

"I think something's happening." Phoebe pressed her ear to the wall, eyes darting back and forth as she tired to distinguish the different voices.

"It's a male voice I don't recognize," Phoebe pushed herself off the wall. Helga immediately reacted, slamming her face tight against the white cinderblock.

"Listen to me," a loud voice tried to plead with the mentally unstable boy. But it wasn't enough. "Don't do this. You have so much to live for. Please, lower the gun."

Helga's eyes grew wide. She_ knew_ that voice.

"Who is it!" Arnold asked.

Helga clamped her hand awkwardly over Arnold's mouth, eyes growing wider as she heard the rest of the exchange-

The barrel remained glued to John's temple as his shoulders slowly relaxed. "Yeah, and I know for a fact that you don't have anything to live for," John replied before slipping his finger along the gentle curve of the trigger, pulling it quickly.

Helga screamed at the sound of a gun shot. She started rising to her feet and running to the door. Arnold grabbed onto her waist, forcing her to the ground. She slammed onto the floor with a hard _thud, _but she wouldn't stop squirming, no matter how much pain her elbow and hip were in. Arnold had to scream above the police shouts, "What are you doing?"

"We have to go out there!" Helga pried Arnold's arms off her waist, unlocking the door and charging into the crowd.

"Helga! Stop!" Phoebe cried. Arnold was about to chase after her, but Gerald grabbed onto his arm. Gerald smiled, taking Phoebe's hand in his, "Who said you could leave without us?"

The three quickly fled the room, only to stop outside the front door to avoid being trampled. Arnold's eyes quickly darted around, scanning the faces. Most were stern ones from the male and female police officers and EMTs.

"Helga!"

Helga was leaning over the body, Alex's hand on her shoulders. "No, no, no, _please no_-"

At the sight of the blood pouring from the wound in the man's chest, Arnold found himself growing dizzy. He quickly grabbed Helga's other shoulder, not only to steady himself, but to pull her off the ground. The man moaned in pain, blood spurting from the hole in his chest. Alex forced her away so the EMTs could move him to the gurney.

"Helga, he'll be okay. You have to listen to me. . . .We'll go to the hospital, okay? Everything will be okay." Arnold was trying to convince himself just as much as he was Helga.

Alex began searching his body for his cell phone. "Come on! We need to get into the ambulance!" Helga looked back at Gerald, squeezing his hand. Gerald knew what he had to do.

The sound of police shouts made Arnold turn his head. He reluctantly let go of his girlfriend. "Helga, go in the ambulance. I gotta take care of John."

"But you just -"Alex grabbed Helga's hand and pulled her towards the front of the school. Students slowly began to leave their classrooms, sidestepping the blood on the floor and quickly fleeing school grounds. A few freshman were in tears, scared out of their minds for their classmate, and there were some older kids who were happy about the idea of not being in school. Arnold followed the two policemen out the back of the school, claiming his semi-responsibility over John.

Gerald quickly pushed through the crowds, screaming at the top of his lungs over the voices, "BASEBALL TEAM! DIEDREK'S BEEN SHOT! I REPEAT, DIEDREK'S BEEN SHOT! _GET TO THE BUS!_"


	14. Meet Me In Mighty Pete

**Love Is Like A Baseball Bat**

_Chapter Fourteen: Meet Me in Mighty Pete_

"Since when do you know how to drive a bus?" Phoebe asked as the thirteen guys darted towards the school's parking lot.

"Fourth grade. Saving the neighborhood, remember?" Gerald replied as he threw the school bus into drive. Gerald sped through the streets, not really caring about how many rules he was breaking.

"Dude, what the fuck are you doing!" Jack yelled as he held onto the seat in front of him for dear life.

"Shut up and let me drive!" Gerald snarled, pleased with himself when Jackass didn't respond with a sarcastic comment.

Ten minutes later the team arrived at the hospital, leaving the bus parked in the front, key in the ignition, and the font and back doors wide open.

"I'm going to talk to the doctors. You wait in the waiting room! Phoebe, you're in charge," Gerald ran down the hallway towards the operating room. He saw Helga and Alex sitting in front of the operating room doors, cell phones in hand.

He was panting, "I have the team here. Any word yet?"

"Arnold's with John at the police station, waiting for Mrs. and Mrs. Jensen. Arnold sounded so disappointed." Helga slammed her phone on the ground.

"I've called Diedrek's family. His wife will be here soon. We should go to the kids." Alex picked Helga up off the floor and the three walked back towards the waiting room.

Twenty minutes later, Mrs. Diedrek came running in, tears in her eyes. "Alex!" Alex ran to her, half-smiling. He grabbed her into for a quick hug. "What happened?"

"A crazy kid shot him," Helga replied.

Alex shook his head, "One of the freshman baseball players has a mental breakdown today and tried to shoot Arnold. Diedrek had to be the hero and try to stop him after hours of being held hostage."

Mrs. Diedrek smiled, tears running down her cheek. "I'm not surprised."

"He'll be okay. We're all here for you."

**H-A!-H-A!**

The Jensens paced anxiously in front of the double doors leading to the back of the Hillwood Police station. It had been three hours since John was whisked off campus in the back of a police car. The cops refused to release John until he was "stable" - whatever that meant.

"I can't believe this."

"This is a _disaster_."

Arnold sat by silently, trying to keep his face passive as the anger built up inside of him. Amy sat next to him, texting away without a care in the world.

Arnold turned to her once she shut her phone. "Don't you care that your brother could have potentially murdered someone?"

She laughed. "Why do you think we moved here in the first place?"

"What does that mean?"

Amy shrugged and leaned closer, lowering her voice into a whisper. "This has happened before. He's always had anger issues. He's been getting into physical fights since pre-school. There's something wrong with his brain, too much pressure on the amygdala or some weird shit like that. I don't know, I've never paid attention to it. He's just been taking different meeds since middle school. But for a while he didn't take them, and he got into some really violent knife fights."

"So, just because he stopped taking his meds he starts shooting people?"

"Well that, and probably because Jack provoked him. I know Jack treats him like shit, but I figured that if he was on his meds nothing would happen."

"But you were wrong. And you didn't feel the need to tell your parents?"

"You never told them either."

"I never knew it was an issue. Believe me, if I had known that he wasn't on his meds, or that he even _took _them, this would've ended weeks ago."

"Alright, Arnold, whatever you say."

"Mr. and Mrs. Jensen?" a voice called from behind the doors. The two ran forwards, not even waiting to be directed. Arnold and Amy slowly followed behind, passing different interrogation rooms as well as the cop's offices.

The four reached the end of the all-white hallway and turned right, quietly shuffling into another room behind the police officer. Arnold realized that they were in a very small interrogation room, standing on the other side of a two-way mirror.

The cop collapsed in the chair by the far corner, whispering, "We had to restrain him in his chair. He's refusing to talk to us and tell us what provoked his crime against Mr. Diedrek. He won't even tell us how he got the gun."

"Can we talk to him?" Mr. Jensen asked.

"No. He needs to talk on his own. We're hoping that by bringing you in here, you can tell us what he's doing."

On the other side, John was carefully released from the restraints and he began doing basic arm stretches.

"He's stretching," the cop said, "but we have no idea why."

"They're baseball stretches," Arnold whispered.

"Why would he be doing baseball stretches?"

"I've seen him do them in the hallways at school. Either he has serious problems with his arms or he does them to relax."

"And you wonder why he has no friends," Amy muttered under her breath.

"We're bringing in a psychologist to talk to him. Hopefully that'll clear some things up."

The four were excused and shortly after Amy left the police station to "hang out with her friends." Arnold should've gone to find out about Diedrek, but he knew he couldn't handle seeing him at the moment. So he decided to stay in the police station, help with paper work and offer support to his only borders. John was simply refusing to talk to anyone, let alone another shrink.

Arnold should've been at the hospital hours ago, but John's refusal to speak made is difficult for him to leave. If John said anything about him then he'd have to stay around anyway.

"Arnold, we really appreciate you for sticking around for five and a half hours, but we think you should go home," Mrs. Jensen said in her most mothering tone.

"I can't-"

"I think you should. You look like you need some sleep and a shower. And some really good food."

Arnold's stomach growled in response to the mention of food. Maybe an hour at home before he went to visit Diedrek wasn't such a bad idea.

Two hours later, Arnold was showered and fed and ready to leave. But as he took one last look around his room, he realized just how inviting his bed looked. No one would miss him for thirty more minutes, would they?

Somehow those thirty minutes turned into a few more hours. Arnold was sleeping peacefully until a sudden surprising nightmare startled him out of rest. He glanced at the clock, wondering how long he'd slept. It was 12:25 a.m.

**H-A!-H-A!**

Alex's eye lids were heavy, he couldn't keep them open any longer. He had been waiting in the same room for almost ten hours. After seven hours of surgery, Diedrek was finally moved into a private room. It was almost midnight, if his half-asleep math calculations were correct.

Alex heard movement in the room, so he let his ears stay alert while the rest of his body reclined awkwardly in the chair. Mrs. Diedrek slowly stretched her aching bones before rising to her feet, creating the noise Alex heard.

Another sound of a body crossing the room invaded Alex's mind. Either it was a nurse or a visitor, but the overwhelming scent of soap made Alex assume it was a nurse.

The door opened and shut in a three second span, Alex knew Mrs. Diedrek had left. He was starving, but he was afraid to leave. The invader was pacing around the bed. He could feel the cool shadow as it darted back and forth.

Since Alex had no family in Hillwood, he thought of Diedrek as an uncle-type relation. Unfortunately, Alex had to be the one to call Diedrek's thirty-two-year-old son Zach and inform him of the recent events. Zach was planning on arriving with his wife and kids ASAP on the next flight out of California.

"Diedrek, I know you're alive, so please listen to me," sobs caused the voice to fall silent. "You are the biggest idiot I've ever met for trying to stop a maniac." There was a sigh. "But, I owe you _everything. . ._You came to my rescue when I was trapped in Boston. You convinced me to rejoin the baseball team three times, I think, at last count. Even though you got up and replaced me in a nanosecond, it was out of the best interest for the team. I know you meant nothing personally. I mean, we had suffered enough together for you to just ditch me. You stuck by me when I was stung by jellyfish, thrown in jail, and then there were all the times in practice when I refused to run. You pushed me. . . .You pushed me to be a better person through baseball. You taught me to never give up just because things got hard. You," the voice cracked, "you offered me a place in your home when I had no where else to go. . . You care about me more than my own asshole father does. I know you do. Diedrek, please, wake up."

Alex slowly opened his eyes, faked a yawn, and stretched his body again. Helga looked up from the bed to glare at Alex.

"I didn't know you were awake," Helga bolted towards the door.

"Slow down, Pataki. I actually need to talk to you."

"What?" she asked harshly.

Alex slowly rose to his feet, cracking his back before stepping outside of the room. He kept his eyes focused on Diedrek through the window before speaking, "Did you know Arnold's not applying to college?"

"No. . . I had no idea. How did you find out?"

"Well-"

A tall, slender man wearing a COLLEGE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP 2010 baseball cap stepped in front of Arnold after baseball practice. He looked down at the clipboard in his hand before smiling at Arnold. He stuck his hand out, "Mr. Shortman?"

"Please, call me Arnold," he smiled and returned the handshake.

"I'm from The University of South Carolina and we'd like to offer you a full-ride, four year baseball scholarship."

Arnold choked on his spit. "I beg your pardon?"

"You're an incredible pitcher and a great outfielder. We could use a guy like you on the Gamecocks."

"I'm honored, Mr.-"

"Harris."

"Harris," Arnold repeated, smiling. "This is an incredible offer, but I really can't accept it."

"Why not? You haven't even thought about it." Mr. Harris paused. "Are you already committed to a school?"

Arnold shook his football-shaped head. "I haven't even started applying. I don't even think I'll be going to college, honestly." He shrugged. "A lot has happened in the past year that have delayed my personal actions."

"May I ask what's wrong?"

Arnold nodded, knowing sooner or later he'd have to tell someone why he wasn't going to college. "My parents were lost in the jungles of San Lorzeno when I was a baby. I grew up with my grandparents, and this past year they died in a fire-"

"_Oh_. Oh, I'm so sorry," Mr. Harris awkwardly rested his hand on Arnold's shoulder. The two smiled to attempt to break the weird silence.

"And now I run the boarding house my grandparents used to own. It's an historic landmark," Arnold smiled, "at least that's what they always told me. So I have to stay and take care of the place."

"You don't have anyone that could do it for you?"

"I do, but it's not his responsibility. It's _my _house, my job. And besides, you wouldn't want a student like me at your college. My test scores are terrible. And I think I'm failing at least four of my classes."

Mr. Harris laughed, "I appreciate your honesty, Arnold. But your sports talent is so great that we don't care about your grades. And with your new responsibilities running your boarding house, it's understandable that your school work got pushed behind. You had two lives to live."

"Three, actually."

Mr. Harris saw Arnold's smile, concluding with immediate understanding."Girlfriend?"

"Yeah. She actually played baseball with us, until Jack Dwayne showed up with his 100 mph pitching average."

"Is this kid on drugs?"

Arnold shrugged, "I don't think so. But if I were you I'd act on him fast. He's a freshman, but his future looks to be _extremely _promising. By this time next year, colleges will be down his throat."

"Let me give you my card incase you change your mind." He handed Arnold a business card and an information packet on the University of South Carolina. "It was great to meet you Arnold, and I'll still be in touch. Don't think you can get rid of me that easily. "

Arnold chuckled before pocketing the card, "Thank you, Mr. Harris."

"And thank you for the tip," he waved before darting forwards towards Coach Alex.

_ "-_And then Mr. Harris told me about their exchange." Alex paused, "Helga, you have to talk to him."

She shook her head no. "I don't know if I can do that, Alex."

Alex voice rose, "Why not?" He covered his mouth, realizing he was screaming. He mumbled behind his hand, "You're his girlfriend!"

"Yeah, his _girlfriend _not his _mother_." The two stopped talking when Mrs. Diedrek walked by. Alex offered a friendly smile to the distressed woman, who half-smiled back. "I can't tell him to do anything. All I can do is listen and respect his decisions."

Alex smirked, "When did you get to be so mature?"

"I always have been, _doi_."

"Can you at least talk to him about it? Find out what the real reason is?"

"That story sounds like a perfectly legitimate reason to not apply to college." Helga crossed her arms over her chest.

"Don't be stubborn."

"Alright, fine. I'll talk to him once he calls me back." Helga tried to keep the bitterness out of her voice, but it clearly wasn't working.

"He's probably -" A sudden shout from Mrs. Diedrek made Helga and Alex jump. A nurse entered the room before either could even blink, followed by a doctor on her heels.

Alex shoved his way into the room, screaming, "What's happening?"

The doctor didn't answer, instead he began adjusting the medicines hanging in the IV bags, ignoring the beeping monitors and chaotic company. Helga finally forced herself to look into the window at Diedrek. His body was convulsing on the bed, reacting to whatever antibiotics the hospital had given him after surgery. He was jerking in different directions, practically foaming at the mouth. He was having a seizure.

Helga shut her eyes and tried to deafen her ears from the sounds of his body rocking violently against the bed. She turned her face away, feeling her lips twist into a grimace as she realized that maybe things wouldn't get better.

Her phone suddenly vibrated with a text. **Sent 12:34 AM: Arnold: **I'm leaving the boarding house now. Is he out of surgery?

Helga bit her lip and slid down the wall, trying to curl into herself as they rushed Diedrek out on his stretcher into another room. No one knew where he was going. **Sent 12:35 AM: Helga: **He got out of surgery fine. . .it's the recovery that's killing him.

**Sent 12:36 AM: Arnold: **What happened?

The moment after Helga sent her reply text,Zachary Diedrek, his wife, Mary, and his twelve-year-old twin daughters stepped into the hospital waiting room. They were pleasantly surprised to see the entire baseball team slumped awkwardly in chairs, texting on cell phones, staring straight ahead blankly into space or channel surfing on the hospital's limited cable.

"What are you guys doing here?" Zach asked.

The boys, Gerald and Phoebe all smiled at Zach. He was the spitting image of his father with the same well-defined jaw, dark green eyes and intimidating expression, except Zach had more black hair and less wrinkles.

"We can't just leave," Jack Dwayne replied from the far corner.

"He's never left us before," Thaddeus said from behind a _National Alien Hunter _magazine.

"Yeah, like when Helga got stung, he spent the night in the hospital with her," Iggy added.

"Plus, he'd never forgive us for ditching him," a junior added with a small chuckle. Zachary laughed along.

"Has anyone seen him yet?"

"No. Helga's back there with Alex and your mother, but we haven't actually visited yet," Gerald answered before rising to his feet and introducing himself and the rest of the team.

Phoebe fired a quick text to Helga, letting her know that Zachary had arrived. She appeared in the waiting room moments later with Alex and Mrs. Diedrek.

The silence that echoed through the room was astounding. Just from the simple glance at his mother, Zach knew it had gotten worse. He rushed towards her and offered her a comforting hug, trying to mentally convince himself that it would be okay. Mary guided her daughters to sit down and stay quiet while their father had a moment. The rest of the team all half-occupied themselves, occasionally glancing back at Zach and his mom.

Helga and Alex sat down with the rest of the team. After hushed whispers, Mrs. Diedrek tried to dismiss the boys."You guys should go home. I know you don't have school tomorrow, but still, you need your rest."

Alex's eyes grew wide as he looked at his cell phone. "And, sweet holy shit, we have a game tonight."

"We can't play without Diedrek!" another junior protested.

Gerald slammed his hand into his face. "It's our first game of the fall season!"

"We have to go guys," Alex slowly rose to his feet. The team reluctantly followed behind. "Come on, I'll drive the bus."

**H-A-H-A!**

**Sent 12:36 AM: Helga: **Seizure.

Arnold violently swore and slammed into the Packard's steering wheel. He waited impatiently for the light to change before speeding through the intersection. He glared at his cell phone clock: 12:59 a.m.

He absolutely hated this year, hated everything about it.

He sat at the next light, revving his engine, trying to think. He needed to clear his head find the bright side. He hadn't seen the bright side in months.

As he drove down a side street, he found himself pulling the Packard over and stepping out into the chilly night. He rocked on his heels, awe-struck at how small everything seemed now. Mighty Pete just didn't look as mighty as it had in the past.

Before Arnold knew what he was doing, he gripped onto the ladder and shakily climbed upwards. The rotting floorboards creaked under the weight. He was overcome with a small sense of deja vu, as well as questions. How long had it been? Almost ten years since the gang last hung out here. Arnold collapsed against the window, resting his head in his hands. Now was the perfect time to clear his head.

His first thought was Helga. When was the last time he really spoke to her? The two were in and out of sleep during their time as hostages, trying to mentally block the day, acting as if it was a dream. But it wasn't. He would know. He had been wishing his life was a dream since last year.

He was probably one of the world's worst boyfriends, too. He couldn't even be there for him when she needed it. He really needed to figure out what he wanted. He loved Helga, and wanted to be with her. That would never change. But everything else. Everything else had to change.

As he thought about it, he could feel a small, minute amount of pressure release from his shoulders. Thinking everything out was definitely going to help him. If only he could figure out a way to help Helga through this. She'd never admit it to anyone - let alone herself - about how much she cared about Diedrek. The complete lack of a supportive father figure in her life was proof enough that she needed someone to watch over her.

A knot twisted in Arnold's stomach as Diedrek remained on his mind. What the hell was he supposed to do? If he lost someone else. . . It wasn't like he was crazy enough already. He was already stretched to the breaking point - stress from baseball, failing half of his courses, running the boarding house, and the events from today alone were all piling up.

Arnold slammed his fists into the floor, releasing an angry scream. He just wanted to punch something. He needed to get rid of this energy. He needed to. . . to do _something. _This was like Spain all over again. He was helpless, miles away from the problem, and by the time he'd get there it would all be over.

Someone had it out for him. Someone out there in the great beyond hated him. No one's life could be ending up like this on purpose.

The more Arnold thought, the more he remembered his crazy childhood. Crazy weather patterns, crazy business tycoons taking over his neighborhood, crazy classmates, crazy teachers, crazy _everything. _

Arnold started laughing. It started as a small giggle, then grew into a full blown gut-wrenching laugh. His life was_ ridiculous _and he only now, eighteen years later, was realizing it. His childhood optimism had clearly kept him from seeing it.

Once he started breathing regularly again, his mind began to wander back to fourth grade, back to when he found his dad's journal. He could remember spending hours pouring over the map, days simply rereading the thing. It was his favorite thing to do. He used to carry it with him everywhere until he realized back in fifth grade that he'd never get the chance to find them. They were lost - probably dead - in the jungles of San Lorenzo, and with an extreme lack of funds or a legitimate map, he'd never find them. That journal was burned in the fire. _Unless. . ._Arnold's heart started racing. He quickly searched around Mighty Pete for a piece of paper and a pen. He found the small dresser they'd stored in here and began searching. Both things were covered in dust, and the pen was low on ink, but it would have to do. His shaking hand elegantly traced the lines across the page. The image was coming out clearly from his memory. The latitudes, the longitudes, the location of the rivers, the small details of the trees his father had drawn. It was all there. All blocked in the back of his memory. And now it was so overwhelmingly powerful that as soon as he finished he started to cry.

How could he have not thought of this sooner?

It suddenly donned on him that he had money put in the bank by the borders - as a parting gift for when they actually moved out years ago - for his college fund. And since he wasn't going to college. . .

A genuine smile crossed his lips for the first time in weeks.

**Group Text Sent 1:30 a.m. Arnold: **Come to Mighty Pete. I've got something you need to see.


	15. The Moment Everyone's Waited For

**A/N: I'm back! This chapter is a lot longer than any of the others because I just couldn't find it in my heart to break it up anywhere. Happy reading. Any and all errors are mine and I apologize for them.  
**

* * *

**Love is Like A Baseball Bat**

_Chapter Fifteen: The Moment Everyone's Waited For  
_

Lorenzo was the first to receive the text from Arnold. He blinked wildly at the bright light from his screen, struggling to read the small print without his contacts. Although it wasn't very smart, he took them out for baseball after getting nothing but clay kicked into his eyes at every practice.

Lorenzo had immediately fallen asleep upon returning home from the hospital. His parents were already asleep when the bus pulled up, his butler was waiting at the end of the driveway, still in uniform, holding a flashlight.

After moments of staring at his iPhone, everything became less hazy and he made out the words. Lorenzo quickly darted out of bed, stumbling over his sneakers. He fumbled with his door handle before running out of the house, setting off the alarm. Lorenzo had no time to go back and apologize. He jumped into his expensive Italian sports car and haphazardly backed out of the garage before speeding down the street and towards downtown Hillwood.

Gerald, Iggy, Thaddeus, Phoebe and Helga also woke up startled to the text. Fifteen minutes later everyone who received the group message huddled under Mighty Pete, shaking in the cold, late October air.

Gerald yelled up first, "Arnold, I love you man, but this better be important. We have a game tonight!"

Arnold quickly scaled down the ladder, holding onto a white piece of paper.

Iggy was the first to get angry, "You called us all down here for a drawing?"

"No. It's what the drawing is of," Arnold replied.

"It's a poorly drawn map," Thad added unenthusiastically. "So. . .what?"

Phoebe's tired eyes scanned the map, biting her lip intently as she watched Arnold's hand shake. The small words _San Lorenzo _were scribbled in the middle of a dense forest.

"No way!" she shrieked.

Arnold smiled at his observant friend, "Call me crazy, but I really think this could work."

"What are you talking about?" Thaddeus yawned.

"I want to find my parents in San Lorenzo."

It was silent until Gerald smiled, "You sure about this?"

"Yeah. It'll be hard to work everything out, but I think I'm going to do it." The rest of the group quickly agreed to help. Arnold felt as if his heart was going to burst. He had the best friends in the world.

Phoebe looked at her watch, "Come on, everyone back to my house. It's just around the corner." The group of six followed behind Phoebe, yawning loudly.

**H-A!-H-A!**

Alex clutched his clipboard so hard his knuckles were turning white. He had begged the boys not to play - they were not emotionally ready - but they all insisted. He hated how stubborn this team was. Jack Dwayne sat on the bench, icing his arm, eyes glued to the field. He had pitched for the first half of the game and only given up two runs.

They were now in the last inning, Arnold's game was off. He let six runs slip past him. The game was tied now. Arnold just needed one more strikeout before getting his team back at bat. He rolled the ball in his hand behind his back, body arched forwards and ready to throw. He wanted this game to end already. He needed to see Diedrek.

Arnold quickly locked eyes with Helga in the stands, feeling a smile appear on his face involuntarily.

He quickly wound up and pitched, eyes dead set on James' mitt. He felt his body relax when he heard the umpire yell, "Out!" Arnold hustled off the mound, smiling as Thad began stretching before going up to bat.

Half an hour later Helga and Arnold were driving to the hospital, the short-lived celebration from their win hanging in the air.

"Arnold, what's wrong?"

His sweaty hands tightened around the steering wheel. "There's just this empty knot in my stomach. I know I'm usually more optimistic about this. . .but something doesn't feel right. I just don't believe it this time."

Helga shook her head back and forth, "Don't say that."

He rubbed his temple as he held his head in his hand, eyes still set on the road. "It's just been a rough couple of days. I had to help move out the Jensen's after I left Phoebe's. I don't know where they're going. Now it's weird at the boarding house."

Helga rested her hand on his thigh, squeezing gently. His muscle flexed under his gray baseball uniform pants. "How so?"

"It's even _emptier _than I thought."

Arnold slowly pulled into the hospital parking lot. The tug on his stomach was fiercer now. He just knew walking in there would be terrible.

Helga was already out of the car and standing by his window."You don't have to come in, you know."

"I want to." Helga smiled and opened the door. "Hey, shouldn't I be doing that for you?"

Helga tried to suppress her smile. "Chivalry is dead, Football Head."

"It breaks my heart to know you think that," Arnold laughed before kissing her.

There was a loud cough that drove the two apart. Helga backed away from Arnold before turning around to see Alex standing with the freshman players. The couple silently followed behind, trying to hide their giggles from Alex. He never approved of their PDA.

When they neared the waiting room, there was an eerie silence. Zach was sitting with his mother, his wife and kids no where to be seen.

Arnold couldn't feel his heart beat. Alex quickly disappeared while the team comforted the Diedrek family. The assistant coach returned a few minutes later, looking paler than usual. "They don't know what's wrong. They think it's some weird foreign disease. He's been sleeping on and off since we left. But they say that's incredibly odd and are worried that he'll end up just staying asleep."

Arnold's ears perked up. He glanced at Gerald, who seemed to be thinking the exact same thing.

"You don't think?" Arnold asked.

Gerald jumped to his feet, "I don't know man, but I've heard the stories from your Grandpa. This could be it." Everyone else sat with a puzzled expression.

Arnold rose to his feet, "Looks like I'm going to San Lorenzo."

Alex shook his head, "What?"

"To find my parents. They've treated this stuff before. If there's even a chance we can save Diedrek. . .it's worth a shot."

It was silent. The boys who had met Arnold last night didn't actually believe he was going to go through with this. It was _Arnold, _the kid with his head in the clouds. He always had wild ideas, and finding his parents was the craziest one yet. No one thought he'd actually go through with it.

"Alright, so who's going with you?"

"Just me."

"Is that a joke?" Thad spat.

Iggy nodded, "You can't go alone. You need us."

Arnold shook his head. "I can't take all of you. I shouldn't take anyone, in case. . ."

Helga refused to let this go without a fight. She pulled Arnold out of the waiting room and into the parking lot. "You're taking us with you."

His voice became firm, "No, Helga."

"Football Head," she hissed, "you can't go thousands of miles away to a strange country where your parents are missing _alone. _It's just not smart."

"I'll hire a team of professionals."

"What good will they do? No one's better than us."

He laughed. "I'm not going to fight you on this. You're not coming. No one is."

"We'll see about that."

Two hours later, Arnold was seated at the head of Helga's dinner table. Both Miram and Helga had their eyes glued to him. He didn't feel uncomfortable about it until Miram started asking questions about San Lorenzo.

"I'm going with him," Helga added before taking a bite of her chicken.

"Really?" Miram asked, already knowing Arnold's plan. Helga had talked to her about it before going to the baseball game. "I hope you have a fun time."

Arnold abruptly rose from the table, hands pressing firm on the tabletop. "I can't let you go."

Helga crossed her arms, reclining in her chair. She glanced at her mother before speaking. "Arnold, I have to. I can't let you go alone!"

"You can't just. . ._No,_ Helga, it's way too dangerous. My parents didn't come back and there's a chance I won't either. I'm not letting that happen to you!"

Miram held her tongue, feeling her heart ache to watch them deal with this. She agreed with both of them.

"It wouldn't happen like that. Technology has changed. We'd have location chips or something. A team of people waiting to find us! We'd have intense GPS systems and never get lost."

"Still," was Arnold's argument.

"I have an idea," Miram interrupted. "How much would it cost to send a small team?"

Arnold pursed his lips, eyebrows knit in concentration. "It's few thousand dollars to rent the plane. And maybe a thousand more for gear and food and other supplies."

"And you plan on using your own money for this?"

Arnold nodded. "Yeah, my college fund."

Miram locked eyes with Arnold, "No, I don't think you should do that. You shouldn't be doing this at all."

Helga's eyes went wide, "Wait, what? _Mom_! You can't just -"

Miram held her hand up, silencing her daughter. "How much would it cost exactly Arnold?"

"I. . .I don't know, Miram."

Helga and Arnold watched Miram as she pulled out her wallet, removed a credit card from one of the slots, and slid it across the kitchen table to Arnold.

Helga gasped, "Mom!"

"You're not using your college fund for this. Take this card, rent a plane with it, buy supplies with it. I trust you."

Arnold refused to pick up the card. "This is incredibly generous of you, but I can't accept this."

"You have to Arnold. Or else I don't let Helga go."

Helga looked from her mother to her boyfriend, suddenly feeling a tense situation growing. Her mother was _crazy. _She finally understood why Miram married Bob, they loved to manipulate.

Arnold bit his lip and picked up the card, eyes locking with Helga's, feeling defeated. "I better not regret this."

**H-A!-H-A!**

It was dusk and it was hot. _Disgustingly _hot, but even hotter than that. It was way worse than that heat wave that struck Hillwood when they were kids. The humidity was terrible, it was as thick as a brick wall and it hit them with just as much force.

The pilot waited until the blades stopped spinning before opening the small airplane's door. The team was already drenched in sweat. "I will be here. I have plenty of gas for our flight home. Good luck."

Arnold smiled and waited for his group to step off the plane. A few thanked the pilot, while others just grunted at the heat. "Can you please keep your radio on channel 50? That's the frequency we'll use to contact you," Arnold smiled.

"You got it kid. I'll see you in a few days." The pilot saluted Arnold before drawing a thin curtain over the door. He left it open to let in a small breeze.

"Everyone have everything?" Helga asked.

"Yes," the team replied as they adjusted their backpacks. One by one they took turns adjusting their microphones and radios. The radios were small and clipped onto their utility belts. The belts provided them with things they'd need at a moments notice - fresh batteries, Swiss Army Knives, matches, First Aid Kits. The microphones were similar to the one actors in school productions used, with a small ear piece and a thin wire trailing along the wearer's cheek.

"We don't need them on yet. At least, not until we start climbing down," Arnold smiled. The group nodded and kept the mikes off. "So. . . I guess we should go." The team of seven looked at Arnold expectantly, waiting for him to begin leading. Arnold pulled out his map and GPS system and cautiously walked towards the edge of the leveled ground. They had to be at least sixty feet up, only the tops of trees were visible. He looked down, hoping to see a naturally easy climb down.

No such luck.

"I was afraid of this. Since this is the only land not covered by trees, we're really high up. I think we should go down one at a time. Everyone has their rope and pulleys right?"

The group shrugged off their bags and pulled out their rock-climbing equipment. They were only thirty feet from the plane and already had to remove their packs.

Thaddeus offered to go down first, clearly very excited. He clipped his rope around Gerald's belt, who agreed to go last. He sat on the ground, acting as a rock. he's be able to grab the rope and stop the climber from eminent death if things got out of hand. "Be careful," Arnold warned. Thad laughed and positioned himself carefully, lowering one foot after the other until he was halfway down the mountain side. He let out a frustrated groan.

"You okay?" Phoebe asked into her headset radio.

"This is boring. Hold on," he replied before launching himself off the mountain. Gerald jerked forwards, but quickly leaned back. Thad's rope began furiously whipping forwards, his body propelling himself to the ground at a must faster, and scarier, rate. He landed with a loud _stomp _on the soft ground below and let out a roar while pounding his chest. "That was awesome. I totally recommend that!"

Iggy, James (the junior who offered to come) and Lorenzo mimicked Thaddeus' crazy moves. The four boys laughed the entire way down. Phoebe took her time, clearly nervous about falling. "It's okay," Gerald whispered into his radio. Phoebe's response was muffled as she continued to slide down slowly. "Don't think about anything but moving your feet. It'll be okay."

Once Phoebe made it down safely, Helga forced Arnold to go down. "You sure?" She nodded. "Oh, I get it. You want to see if I die first." Helga tried to hide her smirk as Arnold easily scaled down the mountain.

"I'm pretty sure he gets that from his parents," Gerald laughed. "Whenever you're ready, sweetheart."

Helga glared at him. "Don't call me sweetheart, Geraldo."

"Just get down there. My arms are going numb." Ten minutes later Gerald had lost the feeling in his legs too. "Go faster, Helga!" he pleaded desperately.

She clenched her jaw. "Shut up!"

Thaddeus laughed, "You'll skinny dip with sharks but won't propel down a mountain?"

"I will stab you so hard when I get down there," she muttered to herself. The boys began laughing. Helga forgot that her mike was turned on. "Shut up!" she screamed again. Gerald held the rope even tighter, hoping that it gave her a sense of security. Arnold turned to the kids on the ground, "Guys shut off your mikes. I'm going to talk to Helga." He stepped away from the group, closer to the jagged rocks.

"Oh, gross, I have to listen to this," Gerald hissed, "unless you want me to drop her. . ."

Arnold looked up, wishing Gerald could see the unamused look on his face. "It's alright Helga. I'm right here. Just listen to my voice," Arnold whispered into the mike. Gerald suddenly wished he was deaf. He knew this would get mushy.

Helga pressed her forehead to the burning rock. Her body was shaking. "I can't do this," her voice cracked. "I really can't." All she could think about was Peru.

"Don't think about last time," Arnold cut into her thoughts. "This time you're safer. You have Gerald holding onto your rope, a harness, and a group of guy standing below you. You can do this."

"I. . .I just can't stop thinking about it." Her mind flashed with the horrible memory. The moment Arnold let go. . . She felt a sob escape her throat.

Gerald's ears perked up. Was Helga_ crying?_

Arnold smiled, "We survived, remember? That fall changed everything for us. It was a good thing. You remember what happened after, don't you?"

_Please, dear Lord, don't say it! _Gerald begged in his mind. He did not want to hear them discussing their first time.

"Yeah," Helga laughed. She slowly resumed climbing down, heart throbbing loudly. A few tears escaped as she moved.

"That's great, Helga. Keep moving. You're almost halfway down. You're almost done," Arnold continued to encourage her to progress.

The sun was almost gone behind the trees in the horizon. He needed Gerald to get down before dark. Helga suddenly froze, and she was just barely twenty feet up. "Helga, don't stop!"

"Something doesn't feel right," she muttered. Her rope still felt taught. She pressed her hand to the rock, suddenly aware that it was very soft.

"What do you mean?"

She stretched her foot out and pressed her hand to the rock, resuming her climb. Gerald had been slowly inching his way closer to the edge of the cliff, getting anxious about getting to the ground. His body hurt.

That's when Helga's force to keep moving pulled Gerald over the edge. He screamed, feeling his body smack hard against the rock. The blood was rushing to his extremities as he found a crevace to hold onto.

"Oh, _shit!_" Helga was hanging limp against the wall, the only thing holding her up was Gerald.

"Gerald, you have to let her go," Arnold said.

"WHAT?" Helga screamed and rocked her body.

"Don't move so much!" Gerald hissed.

And that's when he made the decision. He couldn't take it anymore. He wasn't going to have Helga being his cause of death. He quickly reached down to his belt, unattaching her rope and letting her fall free. He'd deal with the consequences later.

He couldn't hear anything. Maybe he had actually gone deaf, or the hit to the rock's surface damaged his mike. He was unsure. Once he was back up at the top, he clipped his rope around a thick boulder. He quickly scaled down like Thad had and was at the bottom in a few minutes. His body felt very heavy, the blood still barely flowing. What he really needed now was sleep.

After a quick kiss from Phoebe, he watched Arnold struggle to hold Helga back. She had a murderous look on her face. "Let her at me, Arnold. It'll be good for her." Helga charged at him like a bull released from a pen during a Spanish bull fight. Gerald simply stood strong, arms crossed over his chest. He couldn't wait to see what she'd do.

She did something unexpected. Instead of hitting or punching or kicking or biting him, she collapsed into his body and squeezed him tightly. "I hate you," she whispered weakly, voice cracking.

Gerald laughed and hugged her. "Sorry for scaring you, sweetheart."

"Don't call me that!"

"Uh, Arnold. . ." Lorenzo began, interrupting the nicest moment Gerald and Helga had since he let her spend the night at his house last year.

"Huh?"

"Look at this," he pointed to what looked like the ground. The group walked over, only to hear Helga groan. They still had a long time to go before they'd reach the bottom. There was a river not too far off in the distance. Everyone just seemed to silently agree that they'd need to follow it.

"Alright, let's set up camp for the night. We'll start climbing down further bright and early tomorrow." Arnold collapsed to the ground and began working on building a fire. The other guys unrolled their sleeping bags and stretched out, looking at the darkening sky. After a quick dinner, the group had small talk around the fire until one by one they fell asleep.

**H-A!-H-A!**

"Did anyone just hear something?" Arnold asked as he looked around. He could've_ sworn_ he just heard a high pitched scream.

"Nope," the group chorused as they gathered up their sleeping bags. Arnold continued looking around, realizing something wasn't right. . .he just couldn't place it. Everyone else had the same feeling.

It wasn't until ten minutes later after being all packed up, when James asked, "Hey, guys, where's Helga?"

_Shit! _Arnold remained frozen. He harshly smacked his palm to his forehead.

"How the hell did we lose her?" Iggy asked.

"Everyone turn on your radios and take turns calling her," Phoebe demanded. Arnold smiled appreciatively at her. "She wouldn't have gone too far. Probably just a few feet away."

"You'd think my loud scream was sign enough that I had fallen," Helga mumbled to herself as she rose from the ground. Her screams were known to be ear piercing. She was still a little dizzy from the fall and from her minute or so of passing out. She collapsed back down to her knees, feeling very weak. She reached for her canteen, only to feel an odd discomfort on her arm. Hot, sticky blood gushed from her scraped up elbow. "Great."

She looked up, eyes blinking furiously as she adjusted to the sunlight flooding down from the canopy. She realized she had fallen down the plateau they slept on. _Maybe after a few more minutes of rest I can stand up again._

An obscure amount of time later, Helga felt her head stop aching. She slowly rose to her feet, gripping on tree roots for support. She had been hoping that someone would've found her by now, but there was no such luck. Helga sighed and heaved up her bag, thankful that at least she had some things with her in case things took a turn for the worse. All she was missing, really, was a radio. Hers had broken when she fell, her headset snapping in half and the radio becoming a tangled mess of wires and plastic.

After walking north for almost an hour, Helga started to give up hope that she would be found. She knew it would be getting dark in a few hours, and if she wasn't found by then - She couldn't even bare to finish that thought.

That's when she saw movement in her peripheral vision. Her first instinct was to search for a blunt object, then she saw who it was.

Helga's heart surged in her chest, smile visible on her face as she wiped the sweat away. There was only one person in the world with that sunshine blond hair. Helga ran forwards, shouting "Arnold!" as she dodged tree roots and hanging vines. She kept her eyes focused on the dirt so she wouldn't suffer anymore accidents.

Arnold hadn't heard her yet, or even seen her since his back was to her. She didn't care. She continued running towards the clearing, ecstatic that she found him. She was safe now. Helga ended up smashing into his back and wrapping her arms awkwardly around him.

"Arnold!" Helga practically sobbed and squeezed tighter.

The deep voice replied, "I'm sorry, I'm not - "

Helga immediately retracted her hands, cheeks turning red and eyes widening with embarrassment.

The man she had assumed was Arnold turned around and smiled. Helga's heart dropped through her entire body and continued to beat loudly in her ears. Her jaw was slack but she wasn't taking in any air.

The man's bright smile slowly faded, he was uncomfortable with the way the girl was staring at her. "Are you alright?" Helga slowly nodded, unable to fully form words. "Can you speak any English?" he asked.

"_You. . ._you're. . . you're alive!" Helga's words started to string together, " -" She began spinning in circles, trying to decide on the direction to go.

The man grabbed onto Helga's shoulders to stop her pacing. "Wait, wait, wait. Stop and _breathe_." Helga shut her mouth and exhaled through her nose, trying to calm down. "Guess we should make this formal," the familiar stranger smiled and stuck his hand out. "Hello, I'm Miles Shortman."

Helga bit hard on her lip to keep a scream in. He was really okay! This was unbelievable!

He actually looked a lot like Arnold, which wasn't surprising. Miles was very tall and muscular without making it too noticeable, he had a naturally skinny build. The father and son pair both had he same striking emerald green eyes, unruly blond hair and welcoming smile. It appeared that the only thing Arnold didn't inherit from his father was his football shaped head.

"Hi, Mr. Shortman, I'm Helga Pataki." They stopped shaking hands. Helga finally added after a moment, "I'm your son's girlfriend."

Miles's eyes went wide, letting the words register in his mind and sink in completely. '_Your son' _were two words he hadn't heard in years. His mind was whirling with questions, but he knew he had to be rational about this. His exploring instincts were kicking in as he realized the young girl was wandering the forest alone, meaning she either got lost or she was by herself. And if she was lost, then their son had to be part of the group she separated from.

He couldn't believe it.

Miles realized he hadn't said anything in a while. "Glad we made formal introductions then," he laughed, a very large smile spreading across his very tanned face. "How did you end up all the way out here?"

"It's a very long story, but the shorter version is that our baseball coach contracted this rare disease at Machu Picchu that suddenly affected him after he got shot by this kid. . . anyway, Arnold came up with the idea to come find you so he gathered up a few baseball players and we got traveling."

"Follow me, we'll go back to the village and see if you've suffered any injuries, then we can go find Arnold." Just saying his son's name was enough to make his smile grow even more. "Where did you get separated?"

"I just fell off a plateau or something a few miles back. It was near the river." Helga held up her scraped and bloody elbow as proof. "I called back up to the boys but none of them heard me. My radio broke from the fall too, so there was no way to contact them."

"Let's hurry, maybe they've stumbled upon The Green Eyes."

_H-A!-H-A!_

"Guys, it's pretty quiet," Gerald observed as Arnold slashed through another tree branch. Arnold stopped cutting and listened, noting that it was oddly silent.

"Has anyone been able to get Helga on the radio?" Arnold asked.

"Nope," Iggy replied.

"We've been trying all 100 frequency channels, but we've only been able to pick up our plane," James added.

"Good thing that's still there," Arnold muttered to Lorenzo. He laughed.

Arnold was just about to slash through another vine when he heard the boys gasping. He quickly turned around to see all of the boys being held captive in headlocks by men in masks. No one touched Phoebe.

Upon Arnold locking eyes with one of the men, he released Gerald, bowed down and began praying. The other men quickly followed.

"Arnold, I think these guys know you-" Lorenzo whispered.

"No," Arnold smiled as the men stood up, "they know my parents."

**H-A!-H-A!**

"Curly, why do you like to touch scared things?" Iggy hissed behind him at the boys all shackled up in a line. Thaddeus refused to respond since The Green Eye man was poking him in the back with a dull spear.

Arnold walked ahead of the boys, unrestrained with Phoebe. After the soldier's small prayer session to him, they chained up the other boys and all together they started walking.

Over an hour later they finally stumbled upon a small village nestled behind a giant temple. A volcano and large temple were visible in the distant horizon. The homes were built out of different materials, mostly consisting of mud, rocks and different types of wood, as well as cloth to cover the windows and doors.

As Arnold walked ahead, he noticed the other villagers smile or bow their heads in his direction. These respectful actions made his heart surge with pride. His parents were great people here.

"Arnold!"

Two small hands attacked him, wrapping tight around his body. The Green Eyes stepped back as he embraced Helga. "Thank God you're okay!" he kissed the top of her head, "You're not allowed to leave my side ever again."

Helga laughed before slowly letting him go. "I found something, well _someone,_ I think you'd like to see."

A smile grew on his face, "You found them?"

Helga stepped aside and directed her head towards a hut with a large red medical cross. Arnold froze for a moment. "They're both in there, Arnold, and they want to help Diedrek."

"Did you mention - "

"No."

"They know you're -"

"Yep. We were just about to go looking for you, but thankfully you showed up. They're excited to meet you."

Arnold chuckled, "Is it bad that I can't move my feet?"

Helga nudged him forwards, but Arnold refused to move. "You cannot possibly be nervous now!" Helga grabbed his hand and began walking forwards through the dirt, interlacing her fingers and squeezing his hand tightly to show her support.

At the end of the rows of houses was a Westernized hut made out of wood and painted with hand-made white paint. It was faded and chipping, but it still made the building stand out. It was also raised above the ground on clay bricks and wood stands, a thin railing going up the staircase and around the small waiting patio outside. Six different chairs sat under the shade of the patio's roof, all mismatched and looking like they were stolen from abandon camp sites.

The two marched up the three steps and stood under the porch, Arnold's hand hesitating to reach the door handle. He had no idea what to expect. A million doubts ran through his mind. He hadn't seen them since he was a baby. . . what if they didn't like who he was? It was a stupid fear, he knew, but still he couldn't help but worry. What if they didn't like his decision to not apply to college? What if they didn't approve of him being in a serious relationship Helga? He just didn't know what to even say to them either.

"What are you waiting for, Arnold?" Helga whispered.

"I just got a little worried. . .afraid that they won't like me," Arnold squeezed Helga's hand a little tighter.

"Are you joking, Arnold? You're the greatest kid in the entire world. They'd love you even if you weren't. They're your parents." Arnold still didn't seem entirely convinced, "Once you step inside, you won't be alone in the world anymore." Helga flashed another encouraging smile, letting his hand go and turning the door knob.

Arnold slowly followed behind head peeking behind the door to see two figures' shadows dancing on the dusty white hospital curtain.

"Miles! Stella!" Helga called, side-stepping her boyfriend and marching into the back room. "The Green Eye soldiers found Arnold and our friends. He's waiting for you."

Arnold was left stunned in the main room of the clinic, eyes focusing on his muddy Nike sneakers. He listened to the hushed whispers of his parents, feeling the knot in his stomach making his way to his throat.

This was it.

The moment he had dreamed about for years, the picture he stared at for hours on end, the day dreams, the wishing on his birthday candles, the stories from his dad's journal. . .all of it lead up to now. He suddenly remembered his old day dream of flying with them. Maybe someday they would.

This was _it. _

He was reuniting with his parents. It was so unbelievable to _find _them, to find out that they were alive! It was all so overwhelmingly emotional. He knew he was going to cry. Arnold shut his eyes and leaned up against the wall, trying to suppress the tears that were forming in his eyes already. He was crying just thinking about this.

Miles and Stella quietly entered the room, amazed at how grown up Arnold was. They last time they had seen him he was a baby, less than two years old.

"Arnold?" Helga asked.

He quickly turned his head up, only to become stunned once again.

There they were, simple as that, right in front of him. Stella's eyes immediately watered as she clasped a hand over her mouth to prevent a cry. Her son, _her baby, _was a grown man. The three simply stared at each other, wondering who would speak.

Arnold broke down first, tears streaming down his face as his smile wavered. He tried to wipe them away, suddenly feeling embarrassed, but it was too late. Stella rushed forwards and hugged Arnold with all of her strength, holding him close even though he was almost a foot taller than her. Miles wasn't too far behind his wife. Together the two embraced their son, hearts elating to a point beyond ecstasy. Their son had returned to them safely.

"Arnold, you're so grown up!" Stella finally choked out.

Arnold felt his heart race for a moment as he said something for the first time,"_Mom, Dad, _I've missed you so much."

"We've missed you too," Miles said, feeling his eyes water as well.

Helga stood in the corner, watching the entire scene unfold, feeling her heart threatening to explode in her chest. It was the most beautiful thing she'd ever witnessed.

Arnold slowly leaned back and wiped his eyes, releasing a small chuckle to break the tension over the fact that he was crying. Arnold had so much to tell them, to ask them, to learn from them. But he had to break the bad news first. The smile slowly disappeared from his face.

"Is something wrong?" Stella asked

"I, uh, came here because. . .well, for a few reasons. Our baseball coach is sick, and no one knows why. I'm hoping you guys can figure it out. We think he got some disease from traveling with us, most likely in Machu Picchu." Miles and Stella nodded enthusiastically, eager to help their clearly distraught son. "And, I just really needed to find you because -"

Helga watched her beloved's green eyes tear up again. Arnold's lower lip quivered as he spoke, "Grandma and Grandpa-"

And that was all he had to say. He bowed his head out of fear, he had no idea how his parents would react. Stella's eyes grew wide as she held Miles' hand. Miles looked down as well, feeling a surge of pain completely envelop his body. _His parents were dead._

Arnold stepped back from his parents embrace, giving his father the chance to digest this awful news. Miles quietly walked into the back room, feeling an overwhelming sense of denial. Stella half-smiled at her son before following her husband.

Helga quickly beelined her way to Arnold, "Are you okay?"

He nodded, "Yeah. I've had months to accept their death. They haven't."

Miles felt himself staring at the white walls of their clinic room, memories of the last time he saw his parents flashed in his mind. Stella quietly sat beside him, feeling her good mood disappearing completely.

"What should we do?" Helga whispered.

"I think we should figure out a way to free the other kids. Thaddeus touched another sacred artifact."

"Why am I not surprised?" Helga rolled her eyes, "I'll be waiting on the porch."

Arnold waited for a moment before gathering up his courage to interrupt his parents grieving, "Mom? Dad?" He walked into the patient room and sat on the bed. "I'm sorry."

"How?…When?" Miles asked.

"Well, I wasn't there. It happened near the end of the summer. I was in Spain at the time, with my baseball team, when I got a call from Ernie-" he let out a deep breath, body shaking slightly as he recalled the moment he first saw the devastation, "there was a fire at the boarding house."

Stella gasped and immediately looked at her husband, his face becoming pale. "Was anyone else-?"

"They were the only two living there at the time. . . .Now I run the boarding house." Arnold pursed his lips, once again staring at his feet. He couldn't bare to look at his parent's broken expressions.

It was still quiet in the clinic when suddenly a loud shout could be heard from the deck. "I AM FREE!" Thaddeus yelled again.

Arnold groaned, covering his face with his hands to hide his embarrassment. He spoke to the wall, "Unfortunately, that's my friend. I better go stop him before he hurts himself." Arnold quickly rushed out of the clinic, almost tripping on the stairs from his hurry.

"Dude, you have to be more careful," Gerald joked. When Arnold didn't smile, Gerald crossed his arms over his chest and sent his best friend a glare.

Arnold sighed, "Well, they're in there."

"And you're running away from them already?"

"I don't want to be in there now. I killed the happy mood."

Gerald nodded, "You should at least offer to listen to them or something. How do you expect to connect with them?"

Arnold shrugged, "I don't have any expectations about this. Anything could happen. They might not be able to come back. I might have to leave without them. I've lived my entire life without them. . .I-"

"Don't you start acting like Helga on me!" Gerald exclaimed. "Arnold, you are the most selfless person in the entire world. You do everything for everyone. The only reason you're finding your parents now is to help Diedrek!" Arnold practically flinched at that statement. "I know you've missed them, but this wouldn't have been seriously considered as an option until Diedrek. You know I'm right. And you did not just fly thousands of miles and wander through dangerous forests just to give up when you've almost succeeded!"

"Gerald -"

"Arnold, I know it's hard to see your parents grieving like this," Gerald wrapped his arm around his friends shoulder, "but look at all of the good they did here. Think about it! They saved these people from dying out. They're keeping them alive. They're great people Arnold, and I know they've missed you terribly. You just need to get back to being your old optimistic self! We're leaving here tomorrow for our hike back to the plane. And your parents will be with us."

Arnold smiled, "Thanks Gerald."

He held his fist out, waiting for Arnold to meet his with their handshake, "What are best friends for?"

**H-A!-H-A!**

Hiking up the temple to think was one of Miles' favorite things to do during his free time. He didn't do it often, mostly when something was troubling him. It was hard to find trouble in this village, but it happened. But today there was a lot on his mind about his parents, about his _son. _He needed a distraction, and hiking up to the top of the temple was usually enough to wear even the most in-shape Olympic athlete down. How he ever managed to make it up here carrying a very in-labor Stella was a physical feat lost on him.

After the first ten minutes of climbing, Arnold was starting to feel the burn in his legs. These temple steps were really freaking steep. And he was _born _here? Geeze, his dad had to be stronger than the let on. _Oh God, is he going to talk to me about that? _

It was quiet between the two, except for the constant panting from their burning lungs. Finally, after two hours of painstaking climbing, they reached the top. Climbing, and falling off, Macchu Picchu seemed like a walk in the park.

Arnold collapsed onto the ground, letting the sunbaked brick burn his sweaty back. After finding the strength within him, Arnold sat up on the first step of the temple in the shade, his feet just barely touching the step below him. Miles sat down beside him and the two drank from their canteens in silence.

Normally, Arnold would've considered it an awkward silence, but this moment went way beyond awkward. Neither had spoken in at least three hours. Who knew reconnecting with your Dad at age eighteen could be so complicated?

Miles cleared his throat, "So, uh, how long have you and Helga been together?"

_Nice, _Arnold thought to himself, glad that at least his father could come up with something to talk about. "Over a year," he took a long sip from his canteen, never taking his eyes off the forest and village below.

"Wow," Miles was impressed. When he was eighteen he couldn't even get a date, let alone a serious relationship. "So things are pretty serious then?"

"Yeah, you could say that."

Miles took another quick sip of his water, trying to think of more questions. This was the most he'd ever really _talked _with his son."How long have you known her?"

"Since we were three." Okay, now Miles was _really _impressed. "We met on the first day of pre-school. I didn't really remember any of it, just bits and pieces. I know it was raining, and I just sort of stepped out of the car, I guess, and held my umbrella over Helga's head. She just looked so alone and sad. I mean she had showed up to preschool alone, at age three -"

"Wait, _what? _She was wandering the streets of Hillwood alone at age three? Why?"

"Oh, believe me, you'll get to hear all about Helga's dad, Bob."

"Bob?"

Arnold grit his teeth, "Big Bob Pataki."

Miles started laughing, "_Big Bob? _This guy sounds nuts."

"It gets so much worse. . . I can't stand the guy. I really tried to not hate him, but the more bad stuff he did the more I started to just really. . ." Arnold painfully clenched his fists at his sides and let out an angry sigh. Miles made a mental note to himself, _Mr. Pataki: sensitive subject, don't bring up later. _

"What did he do?"

"Called me 'orphan' multiple times _to my face, _for one." Miles felt his heart break a little bit for his son having to deal with that. "There's just a lot of things he's done. I know that sounds vague and stupid, but there's really too much to go into."

Arnold watched the look on his father's face change to an even more somber expression. Arnold might as well have said, "You would've known if you where _there, _but instead you were here playing doctor after you saved The Green Eyes."

"Alright, so, back to Helga," Miles paused, waiting to see if Arnold would protest. "If you've known each other for so long, why didn't you start dating sooner?"

"She picked on me endlessly for years, hiding her love with anger, nicknames and the daily spitballs. I was just too dense to really _see _it, until she confessed it to me in fourth grade." Arnold laughed at the memory now. He pursed his lips for a moment, watching the Green Eyes interacting with the baseball team in their small village below.

"She's just so full of passion and energy that sometimes she's hard to keep up." How many times had he come to her side when she was blindingly mad in the past few years? Over a dozen at least. "Anger is definitely a good quality in her. . . .Since we've known each other for so long, it's impossible for us to lie to each other. We share everything." A small smile crossed his face. Oh yeah, they shared _everything_, alright.

"Finding you guys never would've been possible without her. Her mom paid for our plane and our food and gear, refusing to let me use any of my college fund. Helga even found you in the forest. I don't think I have enough camping skills from childhood that could've helped me." He sighed happily. "She's just an amazing person and I really love her. I don't know what I would do without her."

"How did she end up separated from you?"

"I guess she just fell off the edge or something. I was so terrified that I had lost her forever. I just felt this tugging in my chest, this horrible ache that made me weak. I fought it for a while, trying to keep moving fast, screaming her name. I felt defeated when I never got a response. I had wanted to collapse in the dirt and stay there because I was giving up hope. But my team pushed me, swore to me they'd find her."

Miles slid an inch closer to his son. "Did you honestly think you'd ever find us?"

He sighed and held his head in his hands. "I was worried I wouldn't. This year has been nothing but heartbreak and disappointments. I didn't want to get my hopes up, and it was really hard not to, but. . .actually seeing you guys, _knowing _that you're okay," he smiled at his father, "it just seems like everything's okay, and that the future will be okay too."

Miles smiled back at his son and wrapped his arm around his shoulder. "We should probably get back down there. I'm pretty sure your mom would like to talk to you too."

Arnold groaned, falling onto his back. "Remind me why I agreed to hike up here with you."

Miles rose to his feet, still smiling. It seemed so natural between them, like they had been through moments like this before. "Come on, tough guy, you can make it down. It's much easier."

Arnold laughed, "It better be."


	16. Triple R

A/N:** One Year on Fan Fiction Celebratory Multi-Chapter Upload Extravaganza - Part One!**

Also, before anyone says anything, I found all medical information from the back of my brain's junior year biology memories, Wikipedia and my imagination. Just go with it, eh? Any spelling and grammar mistakes are mine. I apologize.**  
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**Love is Like A Baseball Bat**

_Chapter Sixteen: Triple R - Readjustment, Roughhousing & Reunions  
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"This is so _cool_!" Stella gushed as she sat down in the co-pilot's seat.

"We haven't seen a plane in sixteen years," Miles explained to the confused pilot. The man simply smiled, tipped his hat, and waited for everyone to board and buckle up.

"I still can't believe we left," Stella whispered sadly as the plane flew over the dense forest land. The image continued to grow smaller as the plane's altitude increased. Stella was happy to be reunited with her son, she really was, but she was now being forced back into this unfamiliar situation where she didn't know anyone. She barely even knew her own child, how could she be expected to make friends and function in an an industrialized society?

Miles rested his hand on her shoulder from behind the seat, "Honey, we've completely wiped out all traces of the sickness and trained ten very capable Green Eye men and women to act as doctors for all diseases. They're trained in all kinds of medicines as well. They'll be perfectly fine."

"Promise we'll come back one day and check on them?"

"Of course."

The six boys, two girls and two no-longer-missing parents were all sound asleep as soon as the plane hit the cruising altitude. They remained silent and sleeping until after the pilot landed in Hillwood. Arnold finally woke up when the plane's door opened. He made sure all of his friends had everything before shoving them off.

Helga took the Packard keys and promised to pull the car around for them.

"Mom? Dad?" Arnold asked. When neither stirred, he poked his dad in the shoulder.

"Ahhh!" Miles screamed and jumped up, smacking his head against the roof of the private jet. Stella woke up after her husband's scream. The three laughed as Miles massaged his sore head.

"Oh, wow," Miles exhaled as he stepped off the plane. "We're _home_." He was at a loss for words. Deep down he had given up hope of ever seeing a civilization again, much less his hometown. Well, it wasn't much of a town anymore. It was so _busy _with activity. Stella and Miles both stood and stared at the city skyline as the sun rose behind the skyscrapers. They had never seen Hillwood so developed before.

Arnold stood on the bottom step patiently, "I hate to cut this city admiration short, but we do have an ill, sleeping baseball coach in need of your assistance."

"Right, of course," Stella picked up her box of medical supplies, "to the hospital!"

The ride to the hospital was spent in awkward, tense silence. Arnold was nervous about Diedrek's condition, and he was more focused on that than holding a conversation with his parents. Helga sat in the front seat and continued to look in the rear view mirror, picking out the physical features Arnold inherited from his parents.

"Wow, this hospital is huge now!" Miles tipped his neck all the way back just to see the top of it, "When I was a kid, it was like, ten rooms."

"It's a really nice hospital, the best in the country," Helga said as Arnold took off towards Diedrek's room.

Alex, Mrs. Diedrek and their son Zach were half-asleep in the blue plastic chairs in the waiting room when Miles and Stella walked in. Arnold was no where in sight.

"Alex," Helga whispered. He didn't wake up. Helga smacked him in the stomach, grinning as he fell to the floor. "We're back."

Alex looked around the room, wiped the morning grogginess from his eyes, and introduced himself to Miles and Stella.

"Dr. Shortman," Alex shook Stella's hand, then Miles, "Dr. Shortman."

They both laughed, Miles shaking his head, "Miles and Stella is fine, really."

"Well, welcome back to Hillwood. I hope you can fix our friend-"

"Arnold filled us in back in San Lorenzo. We'd like to see him, if that's alright?"

Arnold appeared seconds later with Diedrek's doctor. The three medical professionals disappeared to Diedrek's room, leaving Arnold, Helga, Alex, and the Diedrek's in the waiting room.

Miles and Stella quickly sterilized and put on gloves, scrubs and lab coats. They knew that touching any amount of blood Diedrek produced would be potentially fatal.

Diedrek's doctor skimmed his forms, "We already treated him with all of our available medication for _African trypanosomiasis, _but he hasn't responded. Is there another form we don't know about yet?" The hospital also issued to put Diedrek under a medical induced coma to prevent mental deterioration and discomfort.

"There was a form of _ trypanosomiasis _in San Lorenzo, and it spread through the almost extinct tsetse fly. I guess one could've gotten to Macchu Picchu. . ." Stella's voice trailed off as she examined Diedrek's skin for any visible red dots, a sign of a bug bite.

"We have multiple medicines," Miles removed different natural herbs and plants found in the jungles of San Lorenzo, "that could treat some things, like his swollen lymph nodes and any possible kidney dysfunctions. We'll have to stay and monitor his response to these before we move on to waking him up."

The doctor nodded and left Miles and Stella to do their thing.

It wasn't until three days later when Diedrek finally started to to show improvement and reduced swelling.

Miles leaned against the sink in Diedrek's room, sighing, "I am so glad we didn't become doctors here."

Stella rolled her eyes and continued mixing various plant roots and leaves, "You're just getting tired of the hospital. After we save Diedrek we can go back to the boarding house and see the city. We're both getting restless and missing Arnold, but we can't stop treatments yet."

Miles groaned and flopped against the counter, "Western medicine is just _so much faster_."

**H-A!-H-A!**

Arnold had been giving explicit instructions from his parents to return his focus on school. They wanted to see him succeed and go to college and change the world.

Arnold, realizing he was really screwed with his grades, contacted all of his teachers, explained his situation and begged for a second chance. If he could raise all of his grades to B's, keep them steady until the end of the year and improve his standardized test scores, he'd be allowed to graduate.

The University of South Carolina representative, Mr. Harris, contacted him again, congratulating him on his improvement in grades and SAT scores. He once again offered Arnold the full-ride, four year baseball scholarship. Arnold accepted and arranged a try-out time for the scout to visit again in late spring.

Everything was turning around in Arnold's life.

During the middle of the second week "under lockdown", as Miles called it, Diedrek finally became fully responsive and opened his eyes.

Stella leaned over the bed and looked into Diedrek's eyes, checking to make sure his pupils were adjusting correctly to the light.

"Arnold," Diedrek mumbled as his vision became clearer, "why are you a brown haired doctor?"

Stella laughed and resumed her examination, saying nothing as to not startle him.

Three hours later, Diedrek was wide awake and much less confused. He seemed to be on the way to a steady and healthy recovery.

It was perfect timing too, the boys were just getting off baseball practice.

After fumbling for twenty minutes on the doctor's iPhone, Miles finally managed to get a _text message_ - which was a strange and foreign concept to him - sent to Arnold. The entire baseball team arrived shortly after, all of boys cheering loudly.

Miles and Stella hugged their rescue team in celebration: all of the seniors players, Helga, and James, the junior.

The doctor appeared in the waiting room, "We'll have to keep Diedrek for one more night, just to ensure that he is fine, then he will be released. Just remember, no stress or physical activity for at least a month." He turned around to head back towards the room, but stopped, "Thank you, Miles and Stella, for your incredible work."

**H-A!-H-A!**

Baseball practices returned to normal, except now Diedrek got to sit in a chair in the shade of the dugout and scream into a megaphone while Alex stood on the field. Diedrek alternated between coaching Jack Dwayne, who had decided to be a little less of an asshole, in pitching and proper batting stances for the rest of the team. Diedrek was confident in Arnold's natural ability and months of previous training from him.

Things were returning to normal for the Shortmans as well. They spent their first few days of "freedom" (again, Miles' term) exploring Hillwood and learning about the past sixteen year's worth of global news.

Once they felt they were officially caught up on world topics, they decided to learn the magic of the internet. "It still wasn't that popular when we left. Besides, you were two. What would you have needed it for?" Miles defended himself as Arnold showed him his flat screen monitor. He explained to them how to use Google, what Facebook and YouTube were, and he convinced them to get cell phones.

Mai and Mr. Hyunh soon returned to their jobs, Mai working at a local magazine and Mr. Hyunh back at El Patio restaurant, leaving the boarding house under Miles and Stella's care. They decided to hold off making any decisions about permanent jobs or new boarding house residents until they officially became settled back in a city life.

It was a late October afternoon, just around six, when Arnold and Helga finally decided to leave the baseball field. Helga loved to stay after practice and throw a few balls around with Arnold, giving him a chance to practice hitting and Helga a chance to pitch. Arnold quickly changed out of his extremely sweaty practice clothes on the side of the field.

"You're missing something, Football Head," Helga teased. Arnold looked around, confused. He had all of his equipment in his bag, right? Helga nodded towards the locker room, "You left your helmet in there after the first practice." She removed his baseball bag from his hands and took his keys, "Go get it. I'll be in the car."

Arnold quickly and quietly stepped into the locker room. The lights were still turned on, which surprised him. Usually the janitor shut them off to help save electricity.

There was the unmistakable sound of a cry of pain. Arnold's heart jumped into his throat as he walked farther back into the locker room, fear gripping his insides. He heard someone grunt and the sound of a body slamming into metal. Arnold turned the corner to see the football player's equipment lockers and two shadows.

"You better watch your back, Horowitz! I can't have a gay little fairy prancing around _my_ school. You're such a fucking faggot. And I _hate_ faggots."

Arnold _knew_ that voice. "Harrison!" he snarled, grabbing the back of the large football player's shirt and forcing him off of the kid he was beating. Arnold looked at the boy cowering in fear on the floor, feeling his own fear boil into rage when he realized it was _Eugene. _Harrison was beating up Eugene!

"Leave him alone!" Arnold screamed before delivering a swift kick to Harrison's leg. It had little effect, since the guy was incredibly muscular.

Harrison smirked then pointed to Eugene. "Is this your boyfriend?"

There was the echoing sound of a locker being slammed shut, "Fuck off! He's _mine._"

Arnold prayed that it wasn't his girlfriend.

Harrison laughed, "This is great. It's like a three-for-one special." Harrison moved forwards and picked Eugene up by the collar, slamming him into the locker again. Helga jumped onto Harrison's back, digging her nails deep into his neck. Hissing in pain, Harrison spun around and shoved Helga into Eugene. Both fell onto each other, moaning in pain. Harrison bent down to their level before punching Eugene in the gut and slamming Helga's head very forcefully into the locker.

Helga's vision went blurry for a moment, then faded to black.

That shoved Arnold over the edge from angry to _furious. _"You asshole!" he screamed, punching him in the jaw. Harrison stumbled back a bit, but regained his footing on the tile floor. He stepped forwards and punched, but missed. Arnold was quick on his feet, prepared to doge every shot Harrison threw. Arnold delivered one quick strike to Harrison's gut. He doubled over before trying to punch Arnold. Arnold stumbled back a bit in his baseball cleats, giving Harrison the advantage to punch Arnold in the face. Ignoring the pain, Arnold threw his fists up again, preparing to attack.

"What's going on here?"

Arnold dropped his fists, "Alex!"

Alex surveyed the scene. This definitely didn't look like Arnold's fault. The small, injured boy was on his knees and gently poking a blond boy's shoulders. The red head moved the long hair of the unconscious boy's face and that's when Alex's heart stopped. "Oh my god, _Helga_!"

"We have to get her to the nurse!" the red head exclaimed.

Alex turned on his heel and faced the large, intimidating kid. He pointed to the door, "Come with me." Harrison sighed and followed Alex.

Arnold picked Helga off the floor of the boy's locker room. "Eugene, are you okay?"

Tears streamed down Eugene's red and bruised face as he nodded, "Yes. Thank you Arnold."

Fifteen minutes later, Eugene's cuts and bruises were treated, Arnold was holding ice to his eye, and Helga was slowly waking up. Helga's first reaction to coming into contact with the bright fluorescent lights was to lean over and vomit onto the floor.

"Wonderful," Arnold smiled as he patted her back. The nurse simply rolled her eyes before grabbing a mop and bucket, "Happens a lot more than you think."

Once Helga was done and the nurse handed her water. Helga moaned as she held her head. "What happened?"

Arnold ran his fingers through her sweaty and tangled hair, "Harrison shoved you into a locker and you passed out."

"What a lame fight," Helga joked.

Arnold stood beside Helga, simply smiling down at her. He had secretly been freaked out that Harrison had done serious damage. And if that had happened, Arnold didn't know how badly he'd snap.

She gently ghosted her finger over the growing bruise on his eye. Arnold winced and Helga removed her hand.

The nurse handed Helga a note, giving her instructions on what to do if the pain in her head got worse. Helga smiled gratefully at her before she got picked up by Arnold. "I think I can walk," she protested.

"I'd rather you not. Just in case you trip, or something."

Helga sighed as the three stepped out into the parking lot, "You have got to be getting tired of always carrying me."

"I never will," Arnold promised before kissing her forehead.

"Aww," Eugene held his hand over his heart. Both Arnold and Helga turned to him, "Sorry. I ruined your moment."

Never in a million years did Helga ever think she'd be in this situation - injured after defending Eugene Horowitz - but she figured she could at least be nice to her old classmate. He was more injured than she ever could be. Helga laughed then held her hand out to him. Arnold stopped walking so Helga could intertwine her fingers with Eugene's, "Are you okay?"

"I'll be fine."

Arnold laughed as Helga dug her hands into his bag and removed the Packard keys, "Come on, let me give you a ride home."

Eugene looked around, suddenly overcome with paranoia, as if he would be attacked. He smiled and accepted.

"Thanks. . .For everything." As Eugene walked up his doorstep, he tripped over his own feet, but stood up laughing, "I'm okay." He waved goodbye to Helga and Arnold, then stepped into his house.

His parents were always working. They had to make a lot of money in order to keep up with the constant doctors visits after Eugene's countless accidents. His parents didn't really have time to sit down and talk with him. They spent a lot of time on their cell phones, earning money, as his dad would say.

It didn't bother him. He had friends to hang out with, homework to do, or rehearsal for a play to go to. He worked in school productions as well as performances at the Hillwood Theater.

He was always busy and always getting hurt. So coming home with scrapes and bruises was something his parents didn't even ask about. Even if this time someone else had given them to him.

"I'm really scared," Eugene admitted over the phone, his voice breaking with tears.

"_Shh, it's okay. Don't worry, I won't let anything happen to you._"

"You say that like you can stop them," Eugene let out a forced laugh. "I should've seen this coming, Lucas. I knew one of these days someone would snap."

"_I thought you said Hillwood was accepting?_"

"The city is. Last year there was a huge Gay Pride parade. It was such a great day," Eugene sighed as he toyed with his navy blue bedspread. "It's just this one powerful kid. He could easily kill me, or turn others against me."

"_Don't let him get to you. He won't hurt you again now that he got in trouble."_

Eugene smiled at the confidence in his boyfriend's voice, "I hope you're right."

_"I have a long weekend in a few weeks, so I'll drive in. Is that okay?"_

"I don't know," Eugene covered his face with his free hand, "I haven't exactly. . . you know, come out yet."

_"I still want to see you. And there's no pressure to come out. Just tell your parents you met me at theater camp."_

"But that's how we did meet," Eugene laughed.

"_I mean, that we're just friends. They'll believe it, right?"_

"Yeah, I think so."_  
_

_H-A!-H-A!_

Miriam glanced up from the kitchen table, only to drop her papers to the ground in shock. "What happened?"

"Some asshole was beating up Eugene," Helga said as she grabbed more ice from the fridge. She wrapped the cubes in a towel and pressed it to Arnold's face.

"The little red head who gets hurt a lot?"

Arnold nodded, "That's the one."

"Why was someone picking on him?"

"I don't know. He's the sweetest kid! Of course, I used to pick on him," Arnold nodded, but stopped when Helga playfully smacked him, "but I stopped."

"You picked on everyone, dear," Miriam added.

"Still picks on me," Arnold muttered under his breath.

Helga smiled at Arnold's comment, "Back to the point. Someone was really hurting him! We're lucky Arnold was an airhead and left his helmet in the locker room, otherwise Eugene would've been hurt a lot worse."

Arnold pointed at Helga, "He hurt you pretty badly."

"He did?" Miriam gasped.

"Just a minor head injury," Helga replied dismissively as she dug her hand into Arnold's shoulder, increasing the pressure with each second.

"_Ow._" Arnold shoved her hand off, facing his girlfriend, "I'm sorry, she had to know!"

Miriam walked over to Helga and gently examined her head. Although no visible bumps could be seen, Miram spotted a small bruise on the base of her daughter's neck. It looked like the vague impression of a Master combination lock. "If you even feel a tiny amount of pain, you'll tell me, right?" Helga nodded and hugged her mom. "I'm going to cook dinner. Are you staying, Arnold?"

"Unfortunately, I can't. I'm taking my parents out to dinner tonight."

"First time out as a family in sixteen years," Helga said before walking Arnold to the door.

"Tomorrow, we need to watch Eugene. I know Harrison is not going to give up. I heard him shouting some really terrible things at Eugene."

Helga quickly closed the front door and stepped outside with Arnold. "What did he say?"

"He kept calling him," Arnold lowered his voice, "a faggot. Harrison kept saying how much he hates them. I don't know if Eugene is gay or not, it doesn't matter, he still shouldn't have to suffer that verbal abuse."

Helga nodded, feeling slightly numbed with shock. Hillwood was such an open and accepting place, she had never even heard someone gay bashing until today. It just didn't happen here. "We can't let this happen again." Arnold agreed, kissed her, then drove away.

**H-A!-H-A!**

Two weeks passed without incident. Eugene was beginning to feel a little more comfortable at school again. He began to relax as the third week was coming to an end. It was early on Thursday afternoon, and Eugene was extremely excited throughout the whole day because his boyfriend would be driving in and meeting him after school.

On Friday, Rhonda Wellington Lloyd had decided to throw a party at her house, and she invited every upperclassmen. She managed to get special invitations out to Mr. Simmons' old fourth grade class.

Arnold couldn't wait. It seemed like the perfect reunion. The gang had always talked about it when they were younger, that they would reunite one day just to see how much everyone had changed. Senior year was almost half-way over, and the more time they'd spend together, the better.

Of course, he shouldn't be_ this_ excited, considering Rhonda and Lila had succeeded in destroying his relationship with Helga, but he figured he should let bygones be bygones.

"I am so pumped for this party!" Gerald cheered. "Especially because we don't have baseball practice today!" Diedrek had heard about the party and decided to let senior boys miss.

"We have it tomorrow at six a.m. to make up for it," Iggy hissed, throwing his bag down onto the locker room floor.

Thad nodded, "I think Alex just wants to torture us."

"So just don't drink," Arnold said as he locked his gym equipment locker. The guys all turned to him and laughed.

"Oh, Arnold," Lorenzo shook his head, "You've never been to one of Rhonda's parties."

"I'm honestly amazed she even invited me," Thad admitted quietly.

"Dude, you were in our class. She can't just _not. . ._" Gerald's voice trailed off when he realized what Thaddeus meant, "You still stalk her every day." Thad nodded.

"Who cares? We're all going to be together again!"

The guys all left the locker room, excited beyond belief for the party. It had been a while since someone threw any sort of _anything, _really.

Arnold smiled at Helga as she stood by the Packard. "What's with the guys?" she asked.

"Rhonda's party is tonight, remember?"

Helga started laughing, "You honestly don't expect me to go, right?" Arnold nodded. Helga groaned, "Do I have to?"

"Yes."

Helga rolled her eyes, "But Rhonda's such a grade-a bitch! You know what she did!"

Arnold started the car and laughed when Helga couldn't open the door. He finally had the sense of mind to lean over and unlock the door. Helga glared at him, still feeling angry about the idea of going to a party. She angrily slammed the Packard door.

Arnold didn't flinch. "I'm choosing to let it go. You should too."

"I swear to God, if this ends up like the last "fourth grade reunion" she threw at prom I will fucking hur-"

"I won't let anything happen," Arnold promised.

The party was set to start at eight, but Rhonda insisted that the gang come over at six so everyone could have plenty of time to catch up.

Lila, Sheena and Nadine arrived first, followed by Brainy and Lorenzo. A few minutes later Sid, Harold and Stinky appeared with Iggy laughing and hugging them on the doorstep.

Rhonda watched her old classmates from her doorway, smiling. It was almost like fourth grade again. No one had really changed much. Besides a new hair style and added height, everybody looked the same.

The two class couples appeared moments later, but Helga refused to be anything short of vicious. She reluctantly hugged Rhonda after Arnold practically shoved her into Rhonda's open arms. Helga sent daggers at Lila, and a small part of her laughed. She hadn't glared at her in years.

"Alright, I think everyone's here," Rhonda announced, quickly counting heads, "Except. . ."

A loud _crash! _could be heard outside the house, followed by an equally loud, "I'm okay!"

The teenagers all released a sigh of relief when the door opened and they saw that Eugene was unharmed. "Sorry about that," he chuckled. "This is my friend Lucas. He has a long weekend, and I couldn't just leave him home alone for two hours. . ."

"It's okay, Eugene," Rhonda said before she hugged him. She extended her hand to Lucas, "Nice to meet you."

He grinned, "Wow, your house is amazing. And you are so much prettier than how Eugene described you. He said you were stunning, but I can sense a definite air of _royal _beauty."

Everyone stood in shock for a moment, smiling as Rhonda exclaimed, "You are officially my new favorite person."

"Now all we need is Thad and we're complete," Nadine announced as she returned to the living room and made her way around, carrying a tray of non-alcoholic drinks.

Rhonda glanced at her diamond studded watch, tapping her foot impatiently, "I wonder what's keeping him. He never would've-"

"AHH!" a loud voice screamed, followed a body jumping out from the coat closet beside the front door. The scare caused Nadine to jump and send the tray of drinks flying onto Eugene's head.

A few of the girls shrieked. All of the guys had jumped, but all pretended that they hadn't been scared. Lucas stared, wide eyed, at the half-naked teenage boy who just appeared covered tribal body paint.

Rhonda put her hands on her hips and glared at Thad, "Curly! Have you been there this _entire time_?"

"Only since four," he replied laughing.

"Somethings never change," Arnold mused as the entire class burst into laughter.

"Here, Eugene, let's get you dried off." Rhonda dragged Eugene off to her room, leaving Lucas alone in a room full of strangers. He looked around, feeling thirteen pairs of eyes on him.

Thad put his tiger-striped arm on Lucas' shoulder. "Nice job moving in on my woman."

Lucas blushed, "Oh, no I - _no_. It's not like that. I promise."

Thad sent him one final glare before heading to the kitchen, "Better watch yourself new kid."

Lucas looked terrified.

Rhonda appeared and cocked her hip, "Don't worry, Curly is harmless. And I am _sooo _not his woman. Never have been, never will be."

"Be careful, Rhonda," Lila warned, "the more you deny, the more chance it has of coming true."

Harold laughed from the couch, pointing, "Just look at Arnold and Helga!"

Rhonda almost smacked herself, "I forgot you guys are dating." Helga glared at Rhonda. Arnold grabbed Helga's hand to keep her from making any sudden movements. "Alright, so, everyone make yourselves at home! I was thinking we could all go around the room and say one thing that's changed about us, one thing that's stayed the same since we were in fourth grade together, and any college plans." Rhonda turned to Lucas, "And you just get to enjoy the show."

Helga couldn't quite put her finger on it, but something didn't settle right with Lucas. He certainly looked fine. He was the same short height as Eugene, 5'8", and he had big, bright green eyes and a gentle smile and short cut raven hair. He seemed like a great guy, but there was just _something. . ._ maybe it was the way Eugene kept smiling at him. It kind of reminded her of the way she smiled at Arnold. Bells and whistles began going off in Helga's mind as she watched the two "friends" whisper to each other, getting extremely close.

The old gang didn't seem to pay much attention to Lucas as they all tried to form a circle around the large velvet couch occupied by Sid, Stinky and Harold. Arnold, Helga, Gerald and Phoebe all sat on the ground near the couch, their backs resting against a china cabinet. Some kids pulled in dining room chairs to sit in, while others just leaned against the staircase. It was a pretty pathetic looking circle, but Rhonda figured it would do.

Rhonda volunteered to go first. "I'm a lot cattier than I thought I would be." That earned a few laughs. "But I'm still fabulously wealthy and fashion forward like I always have been," everyone rolled their eyes. "I want to attend UCLA and study fashion merchandising, despite my father's protests for Columbia."

Nadine shrugged, "I've pretty much stayed the same. Still like bugs and butterflies. I plan on going to college to study entomology, I just haven't found a good one yet."

The circle continued, with almost everyone claiming that they hadn't changed much. Upon further discussion of college plans, it was revealed that no one had _really _changed. Most planned to go to school out of state, since Hillwood only had two colleges: Hillwood University and The College of Hillwood.

Sid found a new found interest in music and tattoos. He had three tats, but his favorite was the one on his left wrist, a drawing of the common cold virus, "To remind me to never become paranoid about anything again." The teens all laughed as they remembered the day when Sid showed up to school in an anti-germ suit.

Harold had grown taller, lost most of his fat and replaced it all with muscle. He was the star linebacker for Franklin High's varsity football team and planned to attend the University of Florida on a football scholarship. Stinky planned on returning home to his parent's farm after high school.

Lorenzo and Iggy both had summer plans to venture out to California and New York then Europe, traveling on Lorenzo's parent's money, to explore the world before applying to a school. Sheena was registered for the Peace Corps and Brainy had decided to join the National Guard. Thaddeus had yet to apply to any colleges, claiming he wanted to take over his family's dry cleaning business.

Helga reclined on the floor, "I've changed. I don't bully people anymore."

"Yeah, you're dating your former victim," Lorenzo joked. Everyone laughed and Helga rolled her eyes. "I plan on going to Boston College to study English." No matter how much she hated Bob for dragging her there, Boston was beautiful and she sort of missed it.

Everyone nodded and turned to Arnold. "I still help people. But I found my parents recently, and it's been really. . .I wish I had a word for it. Awesome, but even better than that." Everyone was incredibly happy to hear that.

Gerald was planning on taking a sports scholarship, he just had to decide between basketball or baseball. He'd always had a natural talent for shooting hoops, he just feared since he wasn't tall enough, he'd never make the team. Phoebe planned on going to MIT to study pre-med.

Lila said she had no plans, which Helga almost laughed at. Instead, she kept quiet and listened to Eugene talk.

"Well, I have a few things to say," Eugene said when it was finally his turn. "I'm still pretty klutzy," everyone laughed in agreement, "and I still love musical theater. I'm thinking of heading to Broadway." Eugene shifted against the ground, clearly uncomfortable, "And, well. . ." he sighed and reflexively squeezed Lucas' hand, "I'm gay." No one looked surprised. Instead, they all continued to smile at Eugene. A few of the guys even offered a thumbs up. "And Lucas is my boyfriend. We've been together since July."

"Aww," the girls cooed.

Lucas beamed at Eugene, feeling extremely proud of him for coming out. Eugene let out a sigh of relief, "I was so nervous to tell you guys."

"Why?" Rhonda asked.

"I was afraid you'd hate me or something."

"_Hate you_? Eugene, we would never hate you!" everyone chorused.

"Who you're attracted to isn't a reason to hate someone," Lila added.

"If you're happy with Lucas, then we're happy," Sheena said.

Brainy laughed and shoved Lucas' shoulder playfully, "Now, do we have to give Lucas the friendly _warning _about hurting you, or does he have it figured out?" Lucas nodded immediately, subtly curling into Eugene a little bit. Everyone laughed at his reaction. "We won't hurt you if you don't hurt him."

"Duly noted," Lucas replied, nodding furiously.

Rhonda rose from her seat on the floor and threw her drink into the air, "To Mr. Simmons' fourth grade class. May we party hard tonight, and party together in spirit forever!"

Everyone cheered and chugged back the rest of their soda for effect.

The front door suddenly flew open and dozens of people poured inside. Music was turned on, drinks were served, and a large beer pong game was set up on Rhonda's patio. The classmates dispersed throughout the party, mingling with kids from other schools as well as other upperclassmen.

Helga and Arnold moved to the couch and watched all of the guests enter. Arnold and Helga both tensed upon seeing Harrison walk in the door with a few other football players.

Helga almost screamed when she saw Lila run up to Harrison and kiss him. "Oh my_ God._"

Arnold could've sworn he was imagining things. "I don't believe it!"

Harrison looked around at the party, eyes suddenly locking on the two blonds.

"Come on, we should go," Arnold pulled Helga to her feet. Together the two shoved their way through the crowd, trying to get to a quiet place to discuss what they just saw.

Outside on the patio, Helga pulled Arnold close to her. "We should tell Eugene. Or _something_."

"And ruin his date with Lucas? I don't think they've seen each other in a while, we should let them enjoy tonight. You and I will each take turns checking up on them and Harrison, alright?" Helga nodded.

Iggy appeared and slapped his hand on Arnold's back. He was clearly a little more than drunk, which wasn't a good sign for baseball tomorrow. "Helga, you want in next game?" Arnold nudged her forwards, knowing full well that Helga was a beer pong champion.

"Teammate?"

Helga laughed, "Oh, _please_. I don't need one."

The teens agreed, clearly in no mood to upset Helga. With all of them drunk, Helga would've had an easy time beating them up. So they let it slide, figuring she'd lose.

An hour and a half later Helga had destroyed Iggy and Lorenzo, two kids from Franklin High she didn't know, Harold and Sid, and was taking the challenge of Lila and Harrison. Arnold had disappeared from the crowd around the table at least ten times during the game to check on Eugene and Lucas. Fortunately, Harrison and Lila had spent the entire night watching the games unfold, only leaving to get more drinks.

"Little Miss Perfect plays beer pong?" Helga teased and she dipped the two ping pong balls in a cup of water. "I'm surprised."

"I'm honestly not that good," Lila replied as Helga sunk her first shot. Harrison removed the ball from the cup and started drinking.

"Are you referring to your _perfectness _or your skills?" Helga shot back, sinking her second shot.

Lila smiled and picked up the cup, "Both."

The game ended becoming drawn out longer than Helga ever expected. Lila wasn't terrible, but she wasn't that good either. Harrison was struggling as the game went on because someone had walked outside carrying a large bottle of Bacardi and offered some to him. There was a long time spent missing shots, which was pissing Helga off. She just wanted to win.

Helga was stunned when Harrison and Lila made a comeback, and suddenly they were both down to their last cups. Helga continued to miss her shots, but thankfully so did Lila.

Gerald, Iggy and Lorenzo had been drinking the cups of beer that Helga couldn't finish. Arnold stood by and watched, silently praying that Helga would win, otherwise no one would hear the end of it.

Helga quickly bounced the ping pong ball on the end of the table, finally prepared to end this. The fifteen or so kids hanging around the table watched in silence as the ball hit the edge of the cup and almost rolled off, but instead it tipped back and fell in. Drunk and excited, everyone began cheering for Helga.

Against her better judgment, Helga shook Lila's hand. She made no such movements towards Harrison.

"I'm going to go check on them," Arnold whispered into her ear.

"No, I've got it," Helga replied. "Someone reset," she announced to the group, "I need a drink!"

The intense dubstep remixes of popular songs was silenced in the kitchen since it was on the opposite end of the house. Lucas and Eugene were standing by the refreshment table, whispering about something.

Helga nodded a 'hello' in their direction. Eugene suddenly dismissed himself, leaving the other two in an awkward silence.

"So, do you call every girl whose party you go to a royal beauty?" Helga smirked as she brought her refilled red Solo cup to her lips.

Lucas shrugged, "I'm just kissing up to the host. I know how girls like Rhonda operate."

"I'm impressed." Helga nodded, "The name's Helga."

"I caught that. And I also know you're the former bully. I've heard many stories about you," Lucas laughed as Helga tensed. "I wanted to thank you, actually, for standing up for Eugene. That really meant a lot to him."

"It wasn't much of a fight," Helga admitted, rubbing her head, "that jackass knocked me around pretty easily."

"It's the principle of the thing. His former bully beating up his current bully? You can't fake compassion like that."

Helga shifted awkwardly. She had never heard the word _compassion _used to describe her. "I guess. . ."

"I also heard you're a big WrestleMania fan. It's refreshing to see a girl's take on the sport."

"_You_ watch WrestleMania?"

Lucas nodded, sipping back more of his drink. "Just because I'm gay doesn't mean I don't like," he added air quotes, "'straight guy' things. I think the whole stereotype against gays is bullshit, but it's a _stereotype, _and it's hard to break those."

"Who is your favorite wrestler?"

"Oh, hands down The Miz. The dude _finally _won this year. I was so sick of Cena."

Helga crashed her cup with Lucas', smiling, "You are officially my new favorite person."

Lucas laughed, "Now where have I heard that before?"

The party continued as any old party. Kids got drunk and stupid, random people shared drunken hook ups in the coat closet, everybody danced around, and Rhonda tried her hardest to keep her house semi-decent. The party was slowly thinning out by midnight and Helga decided that she wanted to leave. Arnold was feeling extremely tired too, and not looking forward to waking up for practice tomorrow, so he decided to walk Helga home.

A lot of other old classmates decided to leave. Arnold quickly thanked Rhonda before walking outside to see Eugene struggling to keep Lucas walking in one direction.

"Will you be okay?" Arnold asked, pointing to tipsy Lucas.

Eugene nodded, swallowing his worry, "I'm sure. I'll call if something happens."

"If you're positive. . .see you later guys," Arnold mock saluted the two before wrapping his arm around Helga's shoulder. Helga simply waved and laughed as they walked away.

"It was great to meet you, Lucas!" Helga suddenly shouted at the couple.

Lucas spun around and screamed, "I LOVE YOU PATAKI!" before turning the corner and heading to Eugene's house.

"Come on, Arnold, I want to do something," Helga laughed and dragged Arnold in the opposite direction of her house. He wanted to protest, remind her that he had baseball tomorrow, but Helga was pretty strong. "It's a surprise!"

A few minutes later, Arnold finally realized where they were going.

Helga skillfully unlocked the padlock and chains hanging around the fence of Hillwood's public pool.

"Helga, we shouldn't be doing this," Arnold warned.

"Too late, we're already in," Helga smirked and dragged Arnold into the gated area. The pool area was completely dark except for the two lights in the pool and the reflection of the lights in the apartments around it.

"I don't have a bathing suit."

"Oh, Football Head," Helga laughed despite herself. "You act like such a virgin sometimes."

"Excuse me?"

Helga shrugged out of her shirt and bra in two seconds flat, giggling, "We don't need our bathing suits if we're going _skinny dipping_."

Arnold shifted his weight from foot to foot, still feeling gripped with fear of getting caught. But suddenly he felt a completely different emotion overwhelming his entire body. _No, control yourself, damn it! _ "Okay," he replied, his voice sounding oddly squeaky, "you have fun."

Helga turned around and shimmied out of her bottoms and remained still for a moment as Arnold's eyes traveled up and down, taking in every curve of her. A blush crept its way across her cheeks, even though Arnold had seen her naked at least a dozen times before. Granted, all those times he was naked too.

"We shouldn't do this," Arnold said before shutting his eyes. He couldn't afford to get distracted. They had to get out of there!

"Come on Arnold," Helga called as she stood by the deep end of the pool. "Just a little swim."

Somehow his feet had carried him to the edge of the pool next to Helga. He felt numbed with excitement. She was teasing him. Oh, God, it was _killing_ him. He should not be thinking about having sex with her now. He should not be feeling his mind turn to absolute mush at the lack of blood flow. He should not be this turned on, _Jesus Christ._

Helga looked over her shoulder and winked at him. At that moment Arnold made an inhuman noise, the three sounds of a grunt, moan and a cry twisting in his throat. "_Fuck_, Helga-"

"Please do," she replied, voice low and seductive.

Arnold was just about to reach out to her and attack her perfect body with his mouth, but she decided that that moment was the prime opportunity to jump into the pool. Arnold grit his teeth and stripped into his boxers before jumping in after her.

"I hate you," he gasped upon returning to the surface. Helga laughed and wrapped her long, lean legs around his waist.

"You _love_ me," she replied before kissing him.

The kiss turned from innocent and sweet to hot and heavy very quickly. Arnold removed his hands from Helga's back and held her jaw before running his fingers through her wet hair. She gently tilted her head to the side to allow the kiss to become even deeper. Even in the cold chlorine water everything just seemed _hot_. The kisses were desperate and rough, tongues were roaming the others mouth, hopelessly trying to search for a chance to explore more than just a mouth.

Helga shifted her hips a little bit, then moved them again before tightening her legs around his waist. Then she gently traced down his slightly defined abs, then teasing him by circling his navel before dipping under his boxers and tracing the curve of the muscles by his hips. Arnold felt himself release a low, guttural moan from the back of his throat. She was _torturing _him, just hovering inches from where he needed her. Helga gasped as Arnold's hands traveled down her body, giving her chills and leaving a burning path against her nerves, before hooking on her ass to pull her closer. Breathless and gasping for air, Arnold pulled back and began his assault on his girlfriend's neck.

That's when Helga opened her eyes and screamed.

The stunned police officer flickered his flashlight on the water, glaring at the two naked teens in the pool. "You have one minute to get dressed," he announced before turning his back to them.

Arnold sighed and reluctantly swam towards the edge of the poll, dragging Helga with him. She remained under the water until Arnold handed her his plaid button down shirt. She smiled as he stumbled into his pants, their bodies were still dripping wet. Once Helga was decent, the couple walked over to the officer.

"How old are you?" he asked. Helga finally noticed how tall the cop was. Even though he was skinny, his height definitely made him seem incredibly intimidating, as did his stone cold glare that seemed permanently etched onto his wrinkled face.

Arnold swallowed hard. Oh, God, he was in _so much trouble._ Arnold felt himself grow pale under the cop's flashlight. "Eighteen, Sir."

He turned his flashlight onto Helga's face. She flashed him one of her signature scowls, "Eighteen."

"Are you residents of Hillwood?" Both nodded before giving their addresses and home phone numbers. "Come on, I'm taking you home."

_H-A!-H-A!_

Stella sat down on the couch holding her cup of coffee close to her chest. Miles was preoccupied with a documentary on the study of the human brain to notice his wife's distress.

If there was one thing Stella wasn't used to about being back in a city, it was being ignored for a television. She cleared her throat, finally getting her husband's eyes on her, "Should we be worried that he's out way after midnight?"

"He's an adult, Stella. And everyone says he's the most responsible kid around. I'm confident that whatever he's doing is safe and legal."

_Knock knock. _

Stella jumped to her feet, panicked, only to be pulled back by Miles. "Relax. Arnold probably just forgot his keys."

Stella nodded as the two made their way to the door. Her heart stopped when she saw the police officer shove two soaking wet teenagers into her home. She was surprised to see Arnold only in his jeans and Helga wearing his shirt, holding a pile of clothes in her arms. "I found them breaking and entering into the Hillwood pool, then skinny dipping and making out."

Arnold felt the cold hard sting of embarrassment and utter humiliation finally hit him. He didn't know what offense was worse to his parents.

"Oh my gosh," Stella covered her mouth with her hand.

Miles shook his head back and forth, more to conceal his laughter than to show disappointment. He gently shook the officer's large hand, "Thank you for bringing them home, officer. I swear to you this trespassing and public nudity will never happen again."

_"RESPOND ALL UNITS: 30-98 AT GERALD FIELD. IMMEDIATELY."_

The officer removed his radio, turning away. Miles shut the door and guided the two teens into the kitchen.

It was silent as Arnold dried his hair and naked chest with a dish rag. Stella just stared at her son, confused.

"This entire thing was my idea," Helga confessed. "I picked the lock, opened the gate. I even stripped and got in the pool. Arnold didn't want to do it-"

Miles held his hand up to silence her. Helga blushed and sunk deeper in her chair, directing her eyes to the floor. Miles rested his hands on the back of the chair on the other side of the table, "I'm sort of at a loss here. Do we punish you or lecture you? What is that. . .grounding? Do we do that?" Stella shrugged.

"Some sort of punishment is usually ordered," Arnold admitted. "It's your choice, really."

"We'll talk about it later," Miles nodded, glancing at the wall clock. "But we should probably get you home, Helga."

"Actually, Helga usually stays here."

Miles turned to Helga, "Does your mother allow it?"

Helga felt another blush growing on her cheeks. "Yeah, she's fine with it. She usually works crazy hours anyway."

"She can stay, if you tell me one thing," Stella demanded. Both Arnold and Helga nodded, "Have you two had sex?"

Miles practically fell off of his feet, but caught himself on the back of the chair again, knocking the seat against the bottom of the table with a loud _clack!_ "Stella!"

Arnold covered his face with his hands. Another wave of humiliation attacked him, this time flipping his stomach. Helga froze, feeling her heart completely stop for a moment before resuming a face-paced beat. Neither teen looked at the other.

Miles pulled Stella to the other side of the kitchen. Her defense for asking the question was, "Are you not curious as to what our son's been doing?"

"Yes, but I expected him to tell me if and when he wanted. You can't just interrogate him and his girlfriend!"

"It's okay," Arnold interrupted. "But can we talk about this later?" Arnold kissed Helga's cheek and whispered in her ear, "Go shower. I'll be up when we're done."

She quickly excused herself, quietly running up the stairs and locking herself in Arnold's bathroom. She didn't want to know what was happening downstairs.

"Sit," Arnold invited his parents to sit across from him. They both sat down and waited for him to speak.

Arnold was pretty sure this wasn't typical. No, he was _certain_ this never happened. Ever. But, since his life wasn't normal, he figured that he should go with the flow and be honest. His parents needed to trust him.

"Yes, we have had sex. And before you say anything else, yes, we are safe. I have condoms and Helga's on birth control."

Miles smiled and leaned back in the chair, "We just skipped like three awkward talks. I say that's pretty good."

"When?" Stella asked, voice sounding hollow from shock.

"Over the summer. It's a funny story, actually. Not really 'ha ha' funny, but a . . .story, I guess."

"I don't know if we should listen to this," Miles interrupted.

"Right, sorry, I'm crossing boundaries," Arnold shook his head and laughed. "I'm new to this too."

Stella smiled, "And what about the sleepovers?"

"Helga practically lives here."

"I figured," Miles chuckled.

"You know about Bob and everything, right? Well, after the divorce Miriam just sort of threw herself into her work and Helga was left alone. I mean, I know she's an independent girl, but I just left her come over here and stay when she wanted. Since I had no one else, it was nice. Helga would cook for everybody and help out and, I don't know, I really liked it. It was sort of like seeing my future, you know?"

Stella's face softened for a moment as she saw _her son _sitting before her suddenly transform into an _adult. _This wonderful, caring man with so many responsibilities and hardships and an extremely soft heart.

"We'll have to meet Miriam, though, before we let these sleepovers continue."

"Understandable."

"And we don't expect them to happen on school nights. Now go shower and get to bed." Arnold nodded and rose to his feet.

Stella rose to her feet and began locking up the house. Her mind was reeling from the events that just occurred. Arnold was just brought home by the _police_ for making out naked in a swimming pool. Then a light bulb flashed above her head, "We never punished him."

Miles laughed from the staircase, "I think your humiliating question was punishment enough!"

* * *

~ Important Message ~

To anyone who is offended by what I am writing now: I know the subjects of bullying and "gay bashing" are sensitive topics, especially with everything that's been happening lately. No matter what the reasons are for, being bullied is not something I tolerate. I personally found writing these chapters to be _very difficult_, but necessary for this story. Please understand that I mean no offense or harm to anyone who has been bullied, or suffered teasing for being gay. Thank you.

* * *

**_**Update: Did you guys hear about New York? Same sex marriage is now LEGAL_! _The bill passed 06/24 with 33 ayes and 29 nays. Hell Yeah, New York!_**


	17. Double R

A/N:**One Year on Fan Fiction Celebratory Multi-Chapter Upload Extravaganza **- Part Two!

* * *

**Love is Like A Baseball Bat**

_Chapter Seventeen: Double R - Repercussions and Remorse  
_

* * *

At 12:30, after almost six hours of partying and reminiscing, Eugene decided to walk home with Lucas.

Lucas couldn't stop gushing about the party. He chattered on about the size of Rhonda's house, how beautiful the people were, how awesome the music was, and just overall how _great_ Hillwood was. "I had such a wonderful time, Eugene! Your friends are awesome!"

"Thanks, Lucas. I'm glad you liked them." He sighed, kicking the dirt next to the sidewalk, "I was afraid you wouldn't."

"Why?" Lucas laughed, "They're so cool!"

Eugene rolled his eyes, "I knew you shouldn't have taken that third cup of punch from Harold."

"I'm_ fine_," Lucas replied.

Eugene was the one who tripped on the tree root growing over the sidewalk. With catlike reflexes, Lucas grabbed Eugene's shirt and straightened him before he made contact with the concrete. "Thanks," Eugene blushed at his lack of coordination.

"No problem. Someone's gotta watch your back, might as well be me," Lucas quickly laced his fingers with Eugene's, causing another blush to rise on his cheeks. They had never exhibited PDA before and Eugene knew he was grinning like a lunatic at Lucas. "I love Hillwood. I'm thinking maybe after our ten to fifteen year stint on Broadway, we come back here."

Eugene smiled again, "You think about _our_ future?"

Lucas hoped that didn't freak Eugene out. "I mean, honestly, yes. I can't help it. All of these college plans have got me seeing ahead, and we've been together for almost six months and _mmmph._" Eugene broke his boyfriend's rambling off with a gentle kiss.

Eugene slowly pulled back, laughing, "I always figured you'd go for a twenty year stint." Lucas let out a sigh of relief before genuinely smiling.

The pair was walking past Gerald Field when, suddenly, someone jumped out behind them, greeting them with, "Hey homos."

Eugene felt his blood boil with anger. It was Harrison again, except this time he had more reinforcements.

With no time to react, two large bodies enveloped the couple, trapping them in headlocks. "Let us go!" Eugene gasped, trying to wiggle his way free. Two other guys tied up Eugene and Lucas, knotting their arms and legs together with sharp wire.

They were then dragged to the scoreboard, hoisted over the jock's heads and carried to where two nooses were hanging. "Monkeyman!" Eugene screamed, feeling his voice get caught behind tears. No one had heard from Monkeyman in years, but it still couldn't hurt to try.

Lucas bit his lip, tears falling down his face. He had spent many nights in hospitals after being jumped. He'd suffered everything from broken ribs to concussions to fractured jaws. . . but a hanging noose was new.

"Help!" Eugene tried again.

There was a swift punch to Eugene's groin, causing him to swallow any other screams.

But Eugene continued to struggle, avoiding being hoisted up any higher towards the rope by all costs. He turned to his boyfriend, "I am so sorry, Lucas. I swear, when we get out of here-"

Lucas put on a smile and fake confidence, trying to keep Eugene calm. "It's okay, Eugene. I've been in worse," he lied. "Kids are just ignorant and scared. If we don't struggle, I think we'll be okay."

Once they were hung, the ropes were tightened and tape was stuck over their mouths.

The bench remained under their feet as the gang of boys threw rocks at the two. Unable to move or scream, Eugene faced his torture with tears streaming down his face. Lucas was crying as well, sobbing every time the rocks hit his stomach.

Eugene wished he could save him. He wished he could stop this. Bringing Lucas tonight was all his fault. This entire thing was _his fault. _

Eugene hung his head in defeat, letting the pain and anger wash over him and die down into a simple apathy. He was royally fucked and couldn't do anything about it.

"I love you," Lucas screamed behind the tape. It was difficult to make out since all the blood was rushing to Eugene's ears and he felt his vision growing darker, his brain slowly becoming unresponsive due to lack of oxygen. Eugene tried his hardest to shout "I love you too!" before feeling his head knocked violently against the wall.

* * *

_HILLWOOD TRIBUNE - Saturday, November 6, 2011  
_

**INNOCENT TEEN MURDERED FOR BEING GAY  
**

Outraged City Mayor "Will Not Stand For Intolerance"

By Erin Roslin, Reporter

GERALD FIELD - At about 12:35 a.m. this morning, the echoing cries of boys in trouble could be heard in the neighboring homes near the empty baseball field. A tenant of one of the buildings said that the cries stopped shortly after, but when a car suddenly backfired fifteen minutes later, she decided to investigate.

"After opening my window, I almost screamed. It was like a scene from a horror movie."

The tenant called the police and the first officer to arrive was stunned into silence.

"I couldn't believe my eyes," he confessed. "I have seen plenty of homicides in my time, but nothing has ever been as cruel as this."

Two male teenagers, 17 and 18, had been attacked on their way home from a friend's house. One boy claims to know the attacker and charges are being pressed against him for first degree murder under a hate crime. His trial has been set up for next Saturday, but further investigation is still needed.

The boy, Eugene Horowitz, described the vicious methods of beating, pointing out the injuries on his body in the hospital bed. They were tied up with metal fence wire, had their mouths taped shut, then were beaten with rocks and hung on nooses. After a few minutes of being pelted, the teens were knocked unconscious. One of the attackers kicked the bench out and let the two severely injured boys hang. The group of at least five boys fled the scene after that, assuming that both of their victims would be dead by morning.

The tenant had called the cops at the right time. The officer removed the boys from the nooses and began performing CPR to keep their breathing steady. Unfortunately, the younger of the two was already dead.

Lucas Tenner was a resident of Jeffersonville, a city about one hundred miles east of here. He had driven in to Hillwood to spend his long weekend with his boyfriend.

Eugene awoke in the hospital two hours later after having multiple X-rays done to examine the condition of his chest. He has six fractured ribs, as well as dozens of bruises and cuts. He remains under intensive care and police watch to ensure his safety. Eugene was devastated to hear the news about his boyfriend.

"He came to see me and meet my friends," Eugene admitted, "Having him with me made it easier to come out to my parents and friends. He said that when he came out in middle school, he was tormented every day of his life. . . .And now he's in a better place, far away from the pain of being teased."

Unfortunately, Eugene fears for his life as the hours draw near for his release. "They say by Wednesday morning I'll be discharged, but I don't want to go back out there knowing he wants my life."

MAYOR'S REACTIONS - - - CONTINUED UNDER GAY RIGHTS 23B

* * *

Helga couldn't return to sleep.

It was 5:00 a.m., way too early for any human being to be awake, in all honesty. It was still _dark _outside!

Sick of laying down, Helga quietly shifted off of Arnold's bed and tip-toed downstairs.

At the loss of body heat, Arnold opened his eyes. He stretched his hands out to see that his bed was empty, then rolled over to look at his clock. Groaning, he shut his eyes and tried to return to sleep.

Once Helga was downstairs, she quietly made her way to the kitchen to get cereal. She had just gone past the front door when she heard a quiet _thump _against it. Realizing that it was the newspaper, Helga decided to bring it inside.

She happened to glance down at the article plastered on the front page and gasped. Helga's eyes brimmed with tears as she read the horrible article. Once she closed the paper, she burst into tears. This was _unfair._ Harrison shouldn't be standing. Someone was dead and it was his fault!

Helga bolted up the stairs, not caring how loud she was being, and switched on Arnold's lights.

Half-asleep and confused, Arnold opened his eyes. He immediately knew who had turned on every light in his room and cleared his throat, "Helga?" he asked his pillow.

"Arnold, read the paper. Right now," Helga felt another wave of tears flood from her eyes. The panic in her voice made Arnold bolt upright in bed. Helga tried to speak through her sobs, "Harrison got to Eugene last night-"

Arnold dove from the bed, tripping over his own feet, before pulling the paper out of Helga's hands. She moved back towards the bed, holding her head in her hands. Arnold slid down his bedroom door after seeing the title of the article. His heart skipped a beat, fearing the worst.

Helga waited in agonizing silence for Arnold to finish reading the article.

"_Oh my god," _Arnold gasped. "They killed Lucas!"

"I know!" Helga screamed, tears still pouring from her eyes. Arnold remained frozen against the front door, eyes glued to the black newsprint. The images of him at the party were still burning in his mind. How could Lucas just be _gone_?

"I just keep sitting here thinking about how torn up Eugene is."

Arnold half-smiled, even though this was the worst possible moment, he felt an overwhelming sense of pride. Helga was actually _empathetic_ and thinking about someone else's feelings. It was good to see she had really grown and matured as a person.

Arnold then sat down beside her and rubbed her back soothingly, "We'll go visit him after baseball practice. I'm sure everyone else is going to want to go too."

Helga sighed, "Alright." She rose to her feet, "I should. . . I should be doing something."

"I have practice soon. Let's eat something and figure out a plan. I'll talk to the guys at practice, can you call all the girls?"

Helga nodded and followed Arnold downstairs.

Neither teen were surprised to see Miles and Stella sitting at the table. Arnold knew they had been used to rising with the sun, so he tried his best not to disrupt their morning routine.

Stella quietly stirred her coffee, smiling at the kids. She was a little hurt when neither Helga or her son smiled back.

"Have you guys seen the paper?" Miles asked as he flipped eggs on the skillet.

Arnold nodded before pulling out Helga's chair. Helga didn't move, instead she stood still, staring at a spot on the floor. Arnold pulled her into his lap, wrapping his arms around her waist, "Yeah. We. . .we did."

"Is everything okay?"

Helga shook her head no, unable to get the words out. All she could string out was, "Last night, someone died."

Miles gently lifted his eggs off the stove, carefully walking back towards the counter to set them on plates. His voice was soft, "Alcohol poisoning? Drunk driving?"

"No," Arnold sighed, "Kids murdered Eugene's boyfriend."

Miles dropped his pan onto the floor out of shock. No one made a movement to pick it up. The metal's clanging echoed on the tile floor as it spun on its side. It was silent for a minute until Miles exhaled, "Holy _shit_."

"I shouldn't have let them leave alone," Arnold mumbled, shifting his forehead to Helga's shoulder. "Eugene was so worried," Arnold tensed again and sucked in a breath.

He couldn't imagine the pain Eugene was suffering, physically and emotionally.

* * *

CONTINUED FROM FRONT PAGE:

Mayor Kathy Farkland was in hysterics over the phone. "You almost gave me a heart attack," she said once she calmed down. "My first thought was it was my child."

"This horrid act can't go unpunished or unnoticed. I will not stand for intolerance in my city. Hillwood has always been openly accepting, we're part of one of the few states that allow same-sex marriage. We've never had a problem like this before."

When asked what her plan of action was, she replied, "I'm waiting for a judge to decide once the evidence is presented. I can't believe this happened in our city. . . .My heart goes out to the family who suffered this terrible loss."

Moments later, Mayor Farkland asked to end the over-the-phone interview, saying she had to call her daughter. "She left Hillwood for boarding school," she elaborated, "fearing that once she came out people would attack my political career. I told her politics be damned, she was more important to me than being mayor. Her sexual orientation had no effect on my election. It turns out she was more worried for her safety than anything else. I always used to comfort her and promised her that Hillwood was safe. Too bad it's not anymore." - - - ERIN ROSLIN.

* * *

Eugene was overwhelmed with emotions: pain, heartbreak, rage, fear and more pain. Together they twisted into a violent knot in his stomach, which didn't help the injuries already there. He had a dull ache throbbing in his entire body and an incredible soreness behind his eyes. He wanted to sleep, but wasn't allowed to since his concussion. Mostly he wanted to cry.

The whole day with Lucas had been amazing. Lucas arrived in late on Thursday night and the two fell asleep on Eugene's bed curled around each other. Eugene woke up around noon on Friday, clearly oversleeping his school alarm. Ignoring the minor problem, Eugene decided to cook lunch. When he almost started a fire, he decided to let Lucas take a whack at it. Lucas produced an authentic Italian pasta dish in half an hour.

After lunch Eugene took Lucas on a tour around Hillwood, pointing out old hang out spots and telling old memories. The two hung out in the photo booth at the pier and wasted at least an hour taking goofy pictures.

After the tour, Eugene and Lucas decided to hang out and listen to their favorite musical soundtrack, _Rats_. The two took turns in Eugene's bathroom getting ready for the party. Lucas insisted that Eugene went first.

And when Lucas stepped out of the shower, he opened the door a crack to let the steam out. After wrapping a towel around his waist, he stood in front of the mirror and washed his face in the sink.

Eugene couldn't help but watch, admiring his first look into the private life of Lucas. Lucas always looked so kept together and perfect that Eugene couldn't help but become self-conscious about his appearance and clumsiness. He liked seeing this unkempt, wet haired, post-shower Lucas.

Eugene also had seen Lucas sleeping, since he woke up early. He loved the way the light fell in through his bedroom window and lit up Lucas' flawless complexion. His skin looked like porcelain, it was so perfect. But Lucas had a habit of sleeping with his mouth open and drooling, Eugene learned quickly. Instead of drawing attention to it, Eugene ignored it and just smiled at Lucas. Eugene really didn't care, Lucas could freaking spit on his pillow if he wanted.

He hardly ever got to see Lucas now that school had started. Over the summer, after they started dating, they'd meet half-way between cities at a diner and spend the day there. On weekends when they couldn't see each other, they'd Skype each other, or text constantly, or have hour long phone conversations. They told each other everything and truly loved each other.

"_I love you_," muffled by tape and the sound of utter devastation in his voice replayed in Eugene's mind.

Lucas loved him.

_Loved._

He was already thinking in the past tense.

_"Today is a winding road that's taking me_  
_to places that I didn't want to go._  
_ Today, in the blink of an eye, _  
_I'm holding on to something_  
_and I do not know why I tried."_

Eugene wished he could curl into fetal position and cry at that moment, but the shooting pain of broken ribs made everything short of slow breathing ache_._

Tears streamed down his face, running over bruises and cuts caused by the rocks. The minute amount of salt in his tears stung the open wounds, but Eugene didn't care.

The very tall cop who had rescued him was sitting on the other side of the room. He noticed Eugene crying. "Are you in pain? Do you need anything?" he asked.

Eugene had been told not to move his head since he had severe marks from the rope around his neck, so instead he blinked twice, a signal for 'no.'

"_I am beyond furious_!" If Eugene could, he would've flinched. "How does a person do something like this? I just don't understand it!"

Eugene could picture the scene now, his mom pacing up and down the all white hospital hallway, her arms flailing at her sides as she tried to think of something to say to express her feelings. Eugene got his flair for the dramatics from her.

His father was much more reserved. He did have his moments, but he usually freaked out in the privacy of his own home. "Sweetheart, you need to calm down."

"I'll calm down when my son's out of the hospital and safe from those. . ._jerks_!"

The cop rose to his feet, "Think I should go out there?"

Eugene tried his hardest not to laugh, exuding that much pressure on his stomach would've been terrible. Instead he blinked once, a signal for yes, and laughed inside his head.

Mr. and Mrs. Horowtiz returned to their son's bedside after being escorted in by the officer. Both were still reeling in shock from the news of their son's injuries. They had been called at one in the morning, after a nurse found Eugene's wallet, cell phone and ID. They rushed to the hospital, listening in numbed silence as Eugene's doctor had explained all of the injuries and how to treat them when he was discharged. As soon as the doctor left, Mrs. Horowitz had her freak out.

"Eugene, are you okay?"

Eugene wanted to laugh at his dad's question, but he couldn't even open his mouth.

"Nate, what kind of question is that?" his mother chided.

"I was hoping for a good answer."

Eugene cracked a faint smile, before feeling his voice get hoarse, "I'll be okay. Eventually."

"We are so sorry," Nate said, offering a sympathetic look towards his son. Nate knew what a broken heart felt like, but he could never imagine one as severe as this.

Tears flowed freely now down Eugene's face. He wished he had the words to say how much it meant to him that his parents _accepted _him and Lucas. Eugene decided to come out to his parents while Lucas was getting dressed after his shower. Neither were surprised. They claimed to have always known, and that their suspicions were practically confirmed when he started to attend the annual Gay Pride parade, but they didn't really want to make any hasty assumptions.

After coming out, they seemed almost offended that Eugene hadn't brought his boyfriend around sooner. They had only spoken Lucas for five minutes before they went out to the party, but they had both smiled brightly at Eugene as he shut the front door.

Eugene never had the chance to meet the Tenners before. Lucas told Eugene that he always talked about him at dinner, saying he just wished for the day Eugene could come spend a weekend with them. Eugene knew that Lucas' parents were divorced, they had been since Lucas' little sister was born thirteen years ago. Lucas also had a twenty-one-year-old brother.

"Eugene?" a deep voice asked from the doorway.

The cop appeared in front of the door, blocking Eugene from seeing the visitor, "Who are you?"

"I'm Brad Tenner, Lucas' brother. Do you think I could have a minute alone with Eugene?"

Mr. and Mrs. Horowitz left, offering a smile to the boy as they walked past. The cop didn't seem quite as friendly, and narrowed his eyes at Brad. "I'll be watching you through this," he pointed to the small square window in the center of the door. Brad nodded, smirking despite himself.

Eugene knew he shouldn't be talking, the noose did serious damage to his throat, but he couldn't help it. He ignored how raspy and awful his voice sounded, "Brad, I am so sorry. I never should've - I just. . .I'm sorry. The doctor said that my noose was tied wrong which is how I . . . I'm _so so so so so _sorry, Brad." The tears fell again and he couldn't stop.

Brad walked closer to the bed, his expression blank. "It's okay, Eugene."

_ "I tried to read between the lines_,  
_ I tried to look in your eyes,_  
_ I want a simple explanation_  
_ for what I'm feeling inside_.  
_ I gotta find a way out_,  
_ maybe there's a way out." _

"No it's not, Brad. These assholes killed Lucas when they were trying to get me! This is all my fault!"

Brad sat down on the end of the bed, careful not to shift Eugene or cause him any pain. He gently rested his hand on his blanketed knee, "Don't think like that."

"It's true though!" Another crack in his voice. Eugene winced and forced himself to shut up. He searched the room for his cell phone, deciding that typing out what he had to say would be better. He didn't want to cause any permanent damage to his voice.

Brad seemed to catch on to what Eugene was thinking and quickly picked his phone up off the couch. "Spare yourself and my ears," Brad joked as he dropped the cell into Eugene's hand.

Eugene began typing at a furious rate, Y R U HERE?

"I wanted to meet you."

UR RENTS MUST H8 ME

That earned another laugh, "No, they don't. They hate the kid who did this. Seriously, Eugene, you shouldn't worry about that. No one hates you."

HOW R U DOIN?

"You're asking me that? I'm not the one who got beaten with rocks."

Eugene bit his lip as he typed out the next words, UR BROTHER DIED.

Brad shifted back a little bit. It still stung, even though he had been digesting the news since the hospital called his house hours ago. After that it was all a blur on the car ride. The words "_Your brother is dead" _had been swirling in his mind, bringing an ache in his heart. "Yeah. I know. It's. . .hard, _really hard, _to accept that. Part of me is still in denial about the whole thing." Brad sighed and held his head in his hands, "But I know Lucas well, and the one thing he never did was stop smiling. He would've seen this situation through with a broken heart, but a strong shoulder for my parents, so that's what I have to do."

HE DOES - Eugene backspaced quickly - DID SMILE A LOT. B4 WE GOT BEAT, HE SMILED AT ME.

Brad started laughing again, picturing the image in his mind. The laughter died down and Brad rose to his feet. "It was nice to meet you Eugene. I'll be back later this afternoon with my family, okay?"

Eugene typed a YES on the screen then half-smiled at Brad.

If Brad was going to be strong, then so was Eugene. It was what Lucas would've wanted.

_"Your voice was the soundtrack of my summer_.  
_Do you know you're unlike any other?_  
_You'll always be my thunder, and I said_  
_'Your eyes are the brightest of all the colors_.'  
_I don't wanna ever love another_,  
_you'll always be my thunder_,_  
so bring on the rain__, and bring on the thunder."_

**H-A!-H-A!**

Harrison was put on trial on Tuesday. He had spent the entire weekend in a daze, completely shocked at the fact that he _killed _someone. It had been in the back of his mind when he planned the stunt, but he never knew how terrible and awful and guilty he'd feel when it actually happened.

He was a terrible person.

He hadn't slept in days, either. He had to live in the court house jail since the police had gotten his name from Eugene. His other friends were lucky, Eugene didn't know who they were. But if Harrison turned them in, they'd only have to spend five years in jail.

Harrison just wanted to be sent away forever. He felt himself already falling into a deep depression. He hadn't eaten anything in two days. All he could think about was the look of terror on Eugene's face as he walked up to him and smacked his head into the wall in the locker room almost a month ago.

He wished he could blame his anger and hate towards gays on someone. He could say his upbringing, but he was a smart kid. He could form his own opinions. But he didn't.

He felt as thought he didn't deserve to live.

"All rise for your Honor Judge Franklin," the bailiff ordered. Everyone rose, but Harrison struggled his his hands were in cuffs.

Once the judge sat down in his chair, he banged his gavel. Judge Franklin brought his dark eyes to peer out from behind his glasses, reading information off a case file, "Robert Harrison Cooper, you are charged with murder in the first degree under a hate crime and attempted murder under a hate crime. How do you plead?"

Harrison's lawyer was about to speak, but Harrison nudged him with his handcuffs. Harrison stumbled to his feet and felt all of the blood rush to toes. He had a nervous knot in his stomach, more about the fact that he'd killed someone then about facing his sentence.

He could make it easy, or incredibly difficult on everyone.

But Harrison didn't want any more difficulties. He didn't want to any more anti-gay slurs coming from his parents or his family. He didn't want to hate people anymore. He didn't want _anything _except to die, really, because he _killed _someone.

"Guilty, Your Honor." As if on cue, the entire courtroom gasped. It was like a terrible court room drama. "I killed Lucas Tenner." Harrison's lawyer covered his face in his hands. The kid was _not _supposed to do that! Harrison turned to face his lawyer, "I couldn't live with myself if I had said 'not guilty'."

The judge nodded, "And you understand what happens now, right?"

Harrison felt his throat dry, "Death penalty?"

The judge shook his head no, "Life sentence."

The judge banged the gavel again, dismissing the court and Harrison. Two bailiffs escorted the chained up teenager towards the court house prison. From there he'd be taken away to the nearest State Penitentary three hours away in Koffer City.

On Thursday, the first day after his hospital release, Eugene drove to Jeffersonville with his parents. Together the three had helped plan Lucas' funeral, and Eugene decided he wanted to sing something after the service. His body was still in a little pain, but his heart hurt the most.

Upon arrival at the cemetery, Eugene noticed the slight darkening in the sky. With the way he'd been feeling, he decided that rain would be perfect. It could drown his sorrows and make the aches stop for a while.

Deciding to be strong was hard. He felt as if his heart was shriveling up in his chest every time he breathed. The other half seemed to explode in pain when he saw Lucas' casket being lowered into the ground.

Once everyone dropped flowers down the grave, Eugene pulled his chair up to the side of the hole. He made sure he sitting far enough away so he wouldn't fall in.

He gently began strumming on his guitar, playing the familiar melody he'd been practicing. His voice was still a little rough, but it was decent.

_". . .Today is a winding road,_  
_tell me where to start, _  
_and tell me something I don't know._  
_Today, I'm on my own,_  
_I can't move a muscle,_  
_and I can't pick up the phone,_  
_I don't know._

_And now I'm itching for the tall grass,_  
_and longing for the breeze._  
_I need to step outside_  
_just to see if I can breathe._  
_I gotta find a way out,_  
_maybe there's a way out."_

Memories of their summer together flooded through Eugene's mind. He remembered the first time they met at a college's theater camp.

Eugene had tripped on the stairs leading offstage and crashed right into Lucas. Both tumbled to the floor and lost their music sheets and scripts.

"Sorry!" Eugene blushed and fumbled to get his footing right again.

"It's okay," Lucas had replied, easily picking Eugene up off the floor. "You have a really nice voice."

Eugene blushed. "Thanks." He held his hand out, "I'm Eugene."

He promptly returned the handshake, grinning, "Lucas." Eugene took a quick second to study Lucas. He was very attractive, his bright evergreen eyes simply lit up his face and contrasted well with his black hair.

It took both teens a minute to realize they were still shaking hands. Embarrassed, Eugene pulled away forcefully, picked up the papers he thought were his and ran.

And that was it. Eugene was hooked. His crush had started on the first day of camp and it was hitting _hard_.

_"Your voice was the soundtrack of my summer_.  
_Do you know you're unlike any other?_  
_You'll always be my thunder, and I said_  
_'Your eyes are the brightest of all the colors_.'  
_I don't wanna ever love another_,  
_you'll always be my thunder_,_  
so bring on the rain__, and bring on the thunder._

_Yeah, I'm walking on a tightrope_,  
_I'm wrapped up in vines_.  
_I think we'll make it out__,  
but you just gotta give me time_.  
_Strike me down with lightning_,  
_let me feel you in my veins_,  
_I wanna let you know how much I feel your pain."_

The first serious injury Eugene had at camp was actually from falling off the end of the stage during a dance rehearsal.

It had been almost a month spent getting to know, and really liking, Lucas. They had gone off campus multiple times together to see a movie or go to the mall or out to dinner. Sometimes they went with other actors and stagehands, other times they went by themselves. Eugene never called them dates though. He wasn't sure how Lucas felt about him yet. Or even if Lucas was gay.

Eugene woke up several hours later in his bed, surprised to see Lucas wearing glasses, sitting on his roommate's bed, highlighting a script.

"Good morning Sleeping Beauty," Lucas teased as he folded up the packet. "Someone told me you were accident prone, but I had no idea they meant every day."

Eugene laughed and sat up in bed, prompting Lucas to come closer. "I was born on Friday the 13th, you know."

Lucas tapped his chin thoughtfully, "So that explains it, then."

"Explains what?" Eugene asked. Lucas moved even closer now, he was practically sitting in Eugene's lap.

"Why I feel so lucky to know you," Lucas whispered before leaning in and kissing Eugene.

After that, everything about their relationship just fell into place._  
_

_"Today is a winding road  
that's taking me to places that I didn't want to go__.  
_

_Your voice was the soundtrack of my summer_.  
_Do you know you're unlike any other?_  
_You'll always be my thunder, and I said_  
_'Your eyes are the brightest of all the colors_.'  
_I don't wanna ever love another_,  
_you'll always be my thunder_,_  
so bring on the rain__, and bring on the thunder."_

Eugene almost stopped playing the song when he heard the echoing sounds of thunder off in the distance, but something deep in his heart urged him to continue, even if that meant ruining his guitar.

_"And bring on the thunder, and I said_  
_ 'Your voice was the soundtrack of my summer_.  
_ Do you know you're unlike any other?_  
_ You'll always be my thunder.'_  
_ So bring on the rain_,  
_ oh baby, bring on the pain,_  
_and listen to the thunder."_

Eugene stopped playing and turned his eyes to the sky, feeling his tears mixing in with the sudden downpour of rain. Thunder echoed off in the distance and Eugene couldn't help but smile. Lucas had heard him. Lucas was there with him, holding his hand and running his fingers over his wet red hair, laughing and smiling.

_Lucas was right beside him._ And everything felt okay again.

* * *

**Disclaimer: **"Thunder" was written by Boys Like Girls and copyrighted under Columbia Records.


	18. Thanksgiving

A/N:**One Year on Fan Fiction Celebratory Multi-Chapter Upload Extravaganza - **Part Three!

* * *

**Love is Like A Baseball Bat**

_Chapter Eighteen: Thanksgiving_

* * *

During the days of Eugene's absence, the old fourth grade class had decided on visiting times, when to bring dinner to the Horowitz's, and when to start rallying.

Sheena and the Hillwood High LGBT community were _enraged_ at their fellow student's actions and held a rally at the school on Monday. The group each stood at every door leading into the school, wearing matching shirts from the FCK H8 online group. Sheena's shirt said SOME PEOPLE ARE GAY. GET OVER IT. in bold white letters.

"We want to get in!" a few kids protested.

"Not until you listen!" Sheena announced into her megaphone. Some kids grew impatient and tried shoving their way up. That prompted Helga to jump onto the steps, rip the megaphone from Sheena's hand and scream, "No one goes anywhere until we listen!"

Arnold stood frozen in shock next to Phoebe and Gerald. No one knew Helga had it in her to take a stand like this.

Then Helga grabbed a black marker from the table. Helga quickly wrote on her v-neck t-shirt FOR LUCAS on the front. She pointed to her back and smiled at Sheena, "Can you write 'And Eugene' on my back?" Sheena quickly wrote it down and beamed at Helga as she stood beside her, hands on her hips and hair pulled back to show off her shirt.

Sheena turned her megaphone back on, prepared to recite the speech she'd been practicing all weekend, "A boy _died _this weekend because someone didn't understand, didn't want to learn, didn't care about what it meant to be gay. One of our classmates was bullied into tears and almost died because he's gay. And that's just unacceptable. Hillwood has always been a place of tolerance and acceptance and _love _that it never mattered if someone was straight, or gay, or bisexual! Prejudice is just ignorance and they're all based on lies scared people spread. Being gay doesn't change the fact that they're human. They're still _people. . ._they just like people of the same sex. Big freakin' whoop! As the actor Just Hutcherson said, 'Does it really matter if your guy friends like guys, doesn't that just leave more girls for you?'"

That earned a laugh from the group of students. Sheena smiled, "I guess the same works for girls too. But, seriously, bullying like this can't happen. Bullying is just wrong in the first place, but to make it about something -"

Helga, against all of her better judgment, removed the megaphone from Sheena's hands, "I admit it. I used to be a bully."

A few kids shouted, "You still are!"

Helga rolled her eyes, "Not anymore! I've stopped. After I saw what happened to Eugene and Lucas, it changed everything for me. Even though I had never actually beaten anyone up, I still used to use mean words against people. I picked on tons of kids and I know I hurt a lot of people. I used to use 'gay' as a synonym for bad, stupid, _whatever _I could think of. Gay is not a synonym for anything but happy, if anyone actually used old English anymore. We have to stop using gay negatively. Being gay is great. I wouldn't personally know, but I hear it's pretty awesome." Helga shook her head, realizing she was getting off topic, "I just wanted to take this moment now to apologize. To anyone and everyone I bullied, I'm truly, deeply, completely sorry for any pain I caused you. I've been beaten up before, and let me tell you, it fucking hurts."

Sheena covered her mouth to stop herself from laughing. Helga nodded, "So. . .I'm just really sorry. We shouldn't stand by anymore and let this happen!"

Sheena poked Helga, asking her for the megaphone, "Bullying is 100% preventable, actually. Instead of taking anger out on someone, _talk _to a friend, an adult, a parent, a teacher. Someone. But, on the off chance you do see someone being bullied, for any reason, you shouldn't just walk past. You could save someone's life by standing up for them!" The students cheered.

In the days after, students began picking up Gay Pride flags and hanging them around school, while others wrote more inspiring messages on t-shirts. "It Gets Better" became a popular phrase between the students. Kids who had been afraid to come out started to feel safe. Other students, mostly underclassmen, who had been bullied in the past began to lose their fears of being bullied at school again.

Things had officially changed for the better.

Eugene returned to school the week of Thanksgiving, finally healed and considered well enough to do work with his concussion. Sometimes he'd have bad days, where all he did was think about Lucas and those moments before both were knocked out. Sometimes he'd think of their time together at theater camp, other times he'd just miss his smile. But he would stay strong and hopeful for Lucas and for anyone else who had ever suffered. He would use this to empower himself.

**H-A!-H-A!**

"WAKE UP!" _Crash! _the loud slamming sound of cymbals scared Arnold out of sleep.

Arnold's body flopped forwards in bed, eyes open wide in panic, before falling back against his pillow. "Holy shit!" he screamed, panting as he rubbed his eyes. He looked up to his skylight to see the early sunrise just peering over the clouds. His parents were hovering over the edge of his bed, looking down over him. Miles was holding the cymbals and Stella just grinning.

"You know, we should really work on your language," she said as they both stepped back.

Arnold held his head, feeling the upcoming throb of a headache, "What was that for?"

"Happy Fourth of July!"

Arnold fell back in bed, "What?"

"Happy Fourth of July!" Miles repeated.

That's when it hit him.

Half of him wanted to cry out of joy, the other in fear. "Oh, my God. It's _Thanksgiving_."

Miles threw the cymbals to the floor with another loud _clank!_ "Mr. Hyunh said that this year it was Grandma's turn."

Arnold smiled. Ever since their traditional Thanksgiving dinner in fourth grade, Grandma and the rest of the borders agreed to alternate years. He had forgotten about the tradition.

Arnold sat at the edge of his bed before turning his eyes to the sky. He remembered all previous Fourth of July/Thanksgivings up on the roof. . .all of the fireworks, the burning hot dogs, the costumes.

God, it felt _so good_ to just remember. He hadn't had too much time to think about his grandparents lately.

He could still hear his grandpa's answer when he asked why they couldn't have a normal Thanksgiving. _"Well we could, but then we'd be like everyone else, and what fun would that be?" _No fun at all._  
_

With another smile Arnold rose to his feet, "What do you need my help with?"

Stella quickly hugged her son, "We need you to go get the fireworks. Dinner will be ready for eight because you have baseball."

Arnold groaned. He'd forgotten that. His parents laughed before heading towards the door. "See you later."

"Wait." Both froze. "Why did you have to get me up at six today? We have school off for a reason."

"There are plenty of holiday traditions I have yet to inflict, I mean _show,_ you," Miles replied before shutting the door.

Arnold really hoped that his dad was joking.

But knowing his luck, his grandparents had done everything short of torture Miles when he was younger. . .

_H-A!-H-A!_

"Good morning, Baby Sister!"

Blinking furiously, Helga shifted in her bed and wished her hardest that she could evaporate at that moment. She shoved her pillow of her head and rolled onto her stomach.

No matter what the Pataki's went through, no matter how much Olga, Miriam and Helga changed, deep down everyone knew that Olga would be the most controlling - well for lack of a better word - _bitch _(especially in Helga's opinion) around the holidays. And now with Bob gone, Helga knew that Olga would be trying extra hard to make everything normal.

"Can I help you?" Helga shot back.

Olga sat down on the end of Helga's bed, "Yes, I need you to help me cook."

That prompted Helga to whip around furiously and glare at her sister, "It's eight in the morning. I don't have school today. I would really appreciate it if you would just let me _sleep _until noon like every other teenager!"

"I bet none of your other little friends are sleeping," Olga countered.

"I know for a fact that Arnold's still passed out and probably will be until dinner time."

Olga smirked, crossing her arms over her chest. "You're not getting out of this."

"Why are we even celebrating Thanksgiving?"

Miriam appeared in the doorway, "Because it's a nice holiday. And we like good food."

Helga rolled her eyes. She knew her mother would never want to make such a big deal out of a dinner. The more time Helga spent with her mother, the more she realized she was a lot like her. "Did Olga put you up to this?"

Olga smiled at her mother. "Maybe."

Helga laughed. "Come on, why don't we just eat Chinese food or something like all the foreigners?"

Miriam nodded, but stopped when Olga looked at her. "We're celebrating the joining of Native American and English customs as we settled in the Americas!"

"Olga, sweetheart, you know I appreciate everything you do, but cooking a big meal for just the three of us doesn't need to happen."

"It's happening," Olga declared firmly. She rose to her feet and pointed to Helga, "And you're helping. I expect you in the kitchen by nine."

Helga scrunched her face up in defeat. "She's really not letting this go?"

Miriam smiled and ran her hands through Helga's bed head. "I think she just wants a sense of normalcy."

Helga shifted in her bed, suddenly feeling an awkward situation dawning upon them. The silence settled in shortly after. Helga and her mom never really _talked _about the divorce, they just let it happen. Miriam seemed completely capable to taking care of herself. She didn't really seem affected by it, and even if she was, she didn't let it show.

"How are you doing, Mom?"

"I'm great, sweetie. I just worry about your sister." Both women started at the half-ajar bedroom door, as if Olga was going to appear and interrupt.

"She knows, though, right? About how bad Bob was?"

Miriam stiffened. "He wasn't exactly _bad, _Helga. Just a little overworked and self-centered. He wasn't always that way. Sure, he always had a temper, but he just wanted the best. To be the best and to have the best. Sometimes it was hard to live up to his expectations." Miram shrugged. Helga bit her tongue. "Olga did though. Olga shined for Bob and he loved that."

"I didn't," Helga whispered. Part of her felt a little broken at that moment. Did her father even love her?

"And you know why?" Helga shrugged, "Because you wanted to be_ your_ definition of the best. You didn't want to listen to someone else define your life for you, so you backed away from him as soon as you could. You were strong from the very beginning, Helga, and you'll always be that way. It's a good thing."

There was a pause, and Helga took that moment to reflect on her mother's words.

"You are so lucky to have amazing friends like Phoebe and Arnold. Because they really love you for who you are and would never make you change."

"Did Bob. . .did he make you change?"

Miriam nodded, "But we should end this conversation. You only have a few minutes left to get some more sleep before Olga comes and gets you." Miriam rose to her feet and stood by the door, "I'll try my best to keep her away, but I don't know how long it'll last."

Helga smiled, "I love you, Mom."

"I love you too, Helga."

_H-A!-H-A!_

Arnold woke up again around eleven due to the excessive noise coming from the roof. Grumbling and half-asleep, Arnold climbed up onto the roof, only to stop dead in his tracks. "Oh my God! Ernie!"

"What's up?" he asked, grinning as he hammered an American flag onto the water tower.

"What are you doing here?"

"Do you really think we'd miss this Thanksgiving?"

"_We_?" Arnold asked, but was immediately answered by the resounding _crash _of a folding table and the unmistakable laughter from the one and only Oskar Kokoshka.

"Hehe, hey Arnold!" he waved from the ground.

Arnold surveyed the scene on the rooftop: Mr. H and his daughter, the Kokoshka's, Ernie, _and _his parents. It was like a surreal dream to see everyone there.

His heart ached at that moment, feeling an intense pain shoot through him. He could hear his Grandpa mutter something about Oskar keeping his hands off his food, and his Grandma addressing everyone in their historic counterpart's name._ "Go put your costume on, Ben Franklin!"_

"I can't believe you guys are here."

"_We wouldn't miss this for the world, Short Man._"

Arnold turned around and stared at the cityscape, confused for a moment. He could've sworn the voice that was just carried away with the wind was Grandpa's.

_H-A!-H-A!_

Miriam managed to completely distract Olga from nagging Helga by offering to help.

"Oh, Mommy, you shouldn't have to do this!" Olga protested as they began to peel potatoes.

"I want to help," Miriam repeated for the tenth time.

"I hope Helga doesn't sleep in too late," Olga mused as she glanced at the clock, noting the fact that it was just past noon. "I know she'll want to see Arnold before dinner."

"She'll be fine," Miriam replied as she picked up another potato, running it under the water before peeling it.

Olga suddenly fell quiet, turning all of her attention to focus on the potato. Her mind was wandering back to last year and how nice it was to hear the football game playing loudly in the other room while Bob cheered. Olga really missed him.

She had tried to keep contact with her father, but Bob admitted that it was still to hard to handle knowing that "his family hates him."

"No one hates you, Daddy!" Olga protested over the phone.

"Tell me that again after you talk to your Mom and sister," was his gruff response before he ended the call.

"Olga?"

Olga turned up at the sound of her name. "Yes?" She offered a smile at mother.

"Are you okay? You've peeled that potato down to nothing," Miriam directed Olga's attention to the small, flat, very thin potato. Olga had been so caught up on thinking about Bob that she didn't notice.

"Yes, I'm fine," Olga laughed it off before dumping it into the trash.

Helga quietly tip-toed down the stairs, afraid to draw attention to the fact that she couldn't fall back asleep. She pressed herself flat against the wall, listening to the conversation.

"It's interesting," Miriam crossed her arms over her chest. Olga looked at her surprised, "You've never lied to me before. What's wrong?"

Olga threw her peeler into the sink angrily. "Do you hate Dad?"

Helga covered her mouth to prevent her family from hearing the gasp she made. She couldn't believe how _blunt _Olga was being.

Miriam bit her lip. "No, I don't hate him."

Now Olga was crying, causing a trail of mascara covered tears to streak her pale cheeks. "Why can't you tell him that? Why can't we be a family again?"

"Olga, you know I married your father when I was young. I dropped out of college to marry him. I had never had the chance to explore my life, see what I wanted to do. I had to change my entire life to be with Bob. I don't hate your father, I just. . .I hate what he did to me."

Olga had forced herself to stop crying long enough to listen to her mother. "We may never be a _family _again, Olga. Maybe Bob hates me so much that we'll never be able to be in the same room together, maybe I'll hold a grudge against him. Things are just going to be different, Olga. We may have to start splitting holidays between your father and I. Things change after a divorce."

Olga nodded, wiping away a few streaks of makeup. This was just a lot to handle, knowing that her family would never be the same again. Why did things have to change so much?

"But there's one thing that will never change." Olga smiled, knowing what was coming. "How much I love you and Helga. You two are my entire world, and I love you both so much."

Olga and Miriam embraced in a comforting hug. "Now, let's get back to cooking. I know Helga's going to want a great dinner."

Helga needed to get out of there. She needed to just _go. _She couldn't handle this. It seemed to finally sink in just how much the marriage hurt her mother.

Helga shrugged on her jacket and ran.

_H-A!-H-A!_

"You know, I always thought that being in a coma would change a guy," Thad mused as the boys all collapsed against the fence. Diedrek decided to up the ante and make the boys run fifteen laps instead of the usual ten.

"You've forgotten how to break a sweat," Diedrek shouted into his megaphone. "I just needed to make sure you were still working hard."

"I think the fact that all the little _kiddies _are puking is proof enough," Gerald replied, pointing his thumb in the direction of the outfield. Arnold, Gerald, Lorenzo, Iggy, Thad, James and the five other juniors were all capable of keeping the vomit down. They had suffered two years of punishments from Diedrek that now they could run at least thirty laps before losing it.

Unfortunately, the five sophomores and three of the freshman couldn't. A lot of the underclassmen never had field time during games, but they knew as soon as the seniors left it was their job to rise to the occasion, so missing a practice was a definite no.

Jack Dwayne was the only underclassmen to hold his own. His obnoxious self-confidence had kept him from embarrassing himself multiple times during practice. He refused to show weakness or even so much as sweat without knowing he wouldn't be made fun of for it.

Alex rolled his eyes and leaned against the outside of the dug out. "Come on, it's time for drills!"

Diedrek watched as the boys, drenched in sweat and exhausted, all rose to their feet again and began pairing off. Ground balls were thrown between the pairs, followed by pop flies and simple tosses.

Diedrek hopped to his feet and stood behind Alex, separated by the fence. "So, how's your holiday been so far, Alex?"

Alex shrugged, "Fantastic."

Diedrek felt bad for the poor kid. He was only twenty and alone on a holiday. "No family?"

Alex nodded, "Andrew and his new girlfriend are visiting my parents at the Cape. I couldn't go. I had to write a paper on the history of war and turn it in this morning before coming here, so I'm running on two hours of sleep."

"Well, after you get some sleep, you should come join the wife and I. Zach finally went home and it's been pretty quiet around the house."

Alex was stunned for a moment, but smiled gratefully, "I'd love to. Thanks."

Diedrek smiled before turning his megaphone back on, "Alright! Time for some batting! Line up for Arnold and Jack!"

The boys followed Diedrek's command, all hustling to get to their bats and in line before Alex had the chance to offer a sarcastic comment about how slow they were.

Gerald turned to Arnold, handing him his glove from the grass, "Only two more hours."

_H-A!-H-A!_

Helga quietly tiptoed across the familiar P.S. 118 stage, overwhelmed with memories. A lot had happened on this stage. But she couldn't be bothered with that now. All she cared about was standing in the middle of the stage, trying to get into the familiar spot she had sat in years ago.

The play about the perfect Thanksgiving. Helga wanted a perfect Thanksgiving. Far away from the pain of her asshole father, the pointless work Olga made her do. . .everything was stressful.

There was the echoing sound of a door slamming. Instead of panicking, she remained standing under the spotlight, glaring. "What are you doing here?"

Arnold crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the door, "I saw a familiar pink bike on the front steps and I knew you weren't going to be risking another trespassing. What are you doing here?"

Helga sighed and crossed back towards the middle of the stage, stopping where the curtain was half-open. She toyed with the red fabric, "Just remembering."

Arnold carefully set down his baseball bag and the package of forty fireworks and walked down the aisle of the theater. He stopped at the end of the stage, resting his elbows on the dusty platform. He quickly hoisted himself up, almost stumbling backwards off the end.

Helga smirked at Arnold's trip before turning her attention back to the ground.

She couldn't stop thinking about what Miriam said.

"What are you remembering?" Arnold rocked on his heels, grinning, "Our first kiss?"

Despite everything running through her mind, Helga smiled, "Shut up, Football Head."

Arnold was surprised at the soft tone in her voice. Something was definitely wrong. "Are you okay?"

Helga clenched her hand around the fabric, almost pulling the entire curtain down as she spun on her heel and faced Arnold. There was fear and panic in her eyes, "Would you ever change me?"

"Change you?" he repeated.

"Turn me into someone else!" Her voice rose, "Make me hate myself for being with you."

Arnold wished he knew what she was talking about. Whatever was bothering her was serious. "No, Helga, I would never change you. I would never even _try, _because I love you for you."

Helga covered her face with her hands, feeling tears escape her eyes. "I just wanted everything to be normal. Just a regular day, but then Olga woke me up, and then Miram comes along and just. . . she looked so _sad _and I. . ." Arnold had already crossed the stage and now was close enough to wrap Helga in his arms. She curled into him, ignoring the fact that he was absolutely gross from baseball. "I'm not strong enough to handle other people's issues."

"Shh, Helga, it's okay," Arnold hugged her and kissed the top of her head. "It's okay."

Helga pressed her forehead to his chest, trying to focus on Arnold's heart beat. It was surprisingly fast and erratic. "Are you okay?"

"Just scared for a minute," he whispered, "afraid that I couldn't help." Helga laughed. "And because I thought you were going to knock us out with the curtain."

Helga laughed and held Arnold closer. It was silent for a minute, until Arnold started grinning. He lowered his voice and whispered into Helga's ear, "So, you think you can show me how our first kiss went again?"

Helga burst into laughter and forcefully nudged Arnold back a step, "_Real _smooth, Arnoldo."

"Hey, at least I gave it a shot. And I am _shocked _that you're rejecting me right now."

Helga rolled her eyes before giving him a light peck.

"Oh my god, your nine-year-old self would be beating you up right now."

Helga laughed because it was true. "Alright, fine." She kissed him a little harder, gently nicking his bottom lip between her teeth. She bit down forcefully before pulling back.

"Ow, _damn_." Arnold hissed.

Helga batted her eyelashes, trying to fake innocence. "You asked for it."

"Apparently I did. You've moved on to a new level of bullying." Helga shrugged and quickly made her way down the stage towards the door. Arnold remained frozen, gently touching the pads of his fingers against his lip. "Do you have some weird biting fetish or something? _Jesus_ that hurt."

Helga laughed and picked up Arnold's bag of fireworks, "You are such a wimp, Arnold."

Arnold quickly followed behind, grabbing his baseball bag. He stepped out onto the street and grabbed at Helga's back, smirking, "Wait, you never answered my question."

Helga turned around and quirked her eyebrow, "You'll find out soon enough."

Arnold didn't know if he should be excited, afraid or turned on. Or if it was okay that he was all three.

Shrugging it off for now, he grabbed her hand and lead her in the opposite direction of the boarding house, "Come on, I want to take you somewhere."

"It better not be Mr. Simmons' house."

Arnold laughed and pulled Helga in, draping his arm around the curve of her back, "No. Skip ahead a few minutes."

Helga retraced the steps she took on Thanksgiving in fourth grade. That had to be her favorite day of the year, especially since Arnold had _willingly _spent time with her. She felt her heart race a little faster now knowing that he _remembered_.

It finally hit her when they approached the pier. Helga smiled as they sat down at the end of the dock. She still hurt a little bit about her family's problems. Why would Miriam hide all of her pain for so long?

"You okay, Helga?"

"Yeah, yeah," she replied dismissively, instinctively curling in her sweatshirt. How could she go from so open to so closed in seconds?

"Well, you just need to find the bright side. Look, this year's _Mayflower _reenactment is working well."

Helga exhaled an extra breath quickly, trying to hide the fact that she was laughing. "You haven't changed a bit, Football Head."

"Well, I mean, I hope not. I heard somewhere once that our personalities are set by like first grade, and after that it's hard to change them. Except shy people. They can change."

"So I'm always going to use anger to hide my real feelings?" Helga quickly tossed a rock into the water. She wasn't going to feel good today was she?

"Maybe. I don't know. Does it matter?"

"What about Miriam? Is she always going to . . ." Helga's voice trailed off when she realized she didn't really _know _her mother's personality. She'd grown up with her as an alcoholic, then suddenly, in less than a year she turned it all around and became an empowered business woman.

"She wasn't always that way you know, the way she was when you were growing up." That's when it clicked for Arnold. Helga's freak out earlier had been because Bob's competitiveness and perfectionism had changed Miriam. "And now she's just trying to return to the person she always was meant to be."

"How do you know who you're supposed to be?"

Arnold shrugged and slid closer to Helga, "I don't know. I would babble on with some fake bullshit wisdom, but I don't know any. I guess it just takes _you _to figure out who you're supposed to be. We're only eighteen, these are the years of self-discovery. Or so I've been told by almost every adult." Helga laughed. "I don't know. Who knows, in ten years I could be the meanest person alive."

That caused Helga to laugh harder, "Like you'd ever be mean."

"Isn't that my decision?" Arnold asked before sporting an evil grin. Helga stared at him and watched as his eyes shifted from her to the water. She didn't realize until it was too late.

"_Fucking asshole_!" she hissed upon breaking the surface of the water. She kicked Arnold's leg, "What was that for?"

"You bruised my lip," Helga hit Arnold again, "and I really needed to cool off after baseball."

"I hate you so much right now!" Arnold laughed before hosting Helga up out of the water and over his head. She climbed back onto the dock and watched him struggle to climb back up. "Come on, you jerk, you can do it by yourself."

Arnold eventually returned to the soft wood of the dock. "We should probably get home. I'll walk you."

"You fucking better, Football Head! You just shoved me into the water and it's cold out. I am so angry at you-_mmmph_," Arnold silence Helga's angry rant about his poor, immature decision to drag them both under the water. He gently opened her mouth wider to allow himself to bite her lower lip for a second.

Helga released a quiet moan and Arnold pulled back, "I have my answer."

_H-A!-H-A!_

"Hey, I'm back!" Helga yelled as she opened the front door. She waved goodbye to Arnold one last time before shouting again, "Anyone home?"

"We're just about to eat!" Olga yelled from the kitchen, carrying a dish of potatoes into the dining room. She started at Helga for a moment, "Why are you-?"

Helga laughed and looked down at herself. She was still soaking wet. Clearly the cold wind that had picked up on the walk home didn't dry her. "Don't ask. I'm going to dry off, I'll be right down."

She returned to the dinner table a few minutes later, practically drooling over the delicious food placed in front of her. "Wow, you guys this looks great!" The three girls immediately dug in, all feeling starved after not eating all day.

"Yeah, it was fun to make too," Miriam added with a snicker as she reached for a second helping of mashed potatoes.

"Oh, Mommy, you know you had a great time!" Olga added with a laugh. "We got into a pea fight."

"A pea fight?" Helga asked.

"Yeah, we started flicking peas at each other," Miriam demonstrated by scooping up a few green peas and placing them on her spoon. She gently tilted the spoon back and aimed it at Helga before letting it go, "like that."

Helga grinned, immediately taking on her mother's challenge. "You're asking for it!"

"No, stop!" Olga tried to protest, but it was too late. Chaos had already unfolded, and before she knew it, Olga was under a double attack. The Pea War eventually escalated into a food fight.

Fifteen minutes later the girls were all covered in their remnants of Thanksgiving dinner, laughing so hard tears were rolling down their cheeks.

"Best Thanksgiving ever," Helga said as wiped gravy off her forehead. Miriam and Olga couldn't have agreed more.

_H-A!-H-A!_

Arnold quickly dressed in dry clothes and climbed onto the roof. He was so excited to be with everyone again.

He was immediately greeted with the scent of charcoal being fired up on the grill and the sound of laughter. Everyone was sitting down at an old picnic table, passing around containers full of potato salad and corn on the cob and beans.

Arnold's stomach growled loudly at the sight of the food.

"Arnold, catch!" Ernie called as he tossed a burger bun at him. Grinning, Arnold caught the bread before turning to the grill. Miles stood behind it with Mr. H, both examining the burgers and hot dogs. Miles noticed his son standing with an empty bun and grinned, "You ready?"

"Toss it!" Arnold yelled across the roof, laughing. He was excited to see if this would work.

Miles quickly flipped up a burger, tossing it across the roof towards the awaiting bun. Everyone watched in suspense as the patty flew through the air and landed on Arnold's bread. The group of eight all cheered loudly. Arnold smiled and dug in, taking a seat at the head of the picnic table.

After dinner, Arnold and Ernie began firing off the fireworks. Arnold's family - the boarders and his parents - all stared at the wonderful explosions of color bursting in the sky.

Somewhere in the distance Arnold could hear Grandma humming a patriotic tune and Grandpa smiling. Arnold watched the sky, but not for the display of explosives. He watched the stars peek out behind the clouds, almost as if he could see his grandparents smiling down on him.

_Happy Fourth of July, _Arnold thought to himself as a smile played on his lips, _I miss you._


	19. 15 Minutes of Fame

A/N:**One Year on Fan Fiction Celebratory Multi-Chapter Upload Extravaganza - **Part Four!

* * *

**Love is Like A Baseball Bat**

_Chapter Nineteen: 15 Minutes of Fame_

* * *

"Worst time of the year," Gerald groaned and slammed his head into a locker.

"Why?" Arnold asked, shoving his friend off his locker door.

Gerald began counting on his fingers, "We had way too short of a break for Thanksgiving, and college apps are due soon, we have exams, and winter break is weeks away."

"Can't forget about all of our baseball games," Arnold added, lifting up Gerald's pinky finger.

"_Fuck_, I forgot. Dude, we are not going to have a life."

Arnold rolled his eyes. "Since when have we had a life since joining baseball last year? You always act so shocked."

"I guess I'm just living in a dream world." Gerald sighed as the bell rang. He saluted Arnold before walking to his statistics class.

It was late in the afternoon and both Gerald and Arnold were exhausted from another late practice. "I think I threw my neck out in that dive," Arnold hissed as he rubbed his sore muscles. Alex wanted Arnold to get some fielding done, and when Thad lobbed the ball, towards center field, Arnold dove for it. He scraped up his entire body in grass and dirt, throwing his neck out in the process.

"I have some Icy Hot you can put on once we. . ." Gerald's voice trailed off when he noticed the two news vans parked out front of the Sunset Arms.

"What is going on?" Arnold jogged the last few feet to his house, forcefully opening his front door. "Mom? Dad?" A flurry of flashes blinded him momentarily until he heard Miles' voice call them back to the kitchen.

Gerald laughed and shut the front door, "I think you just got hoarded by paparazzi."

"What is going on?" Arnold asked again, only to hear both of his parents call his name.

"News of our arrival back in the States has caused quite a stir in the medical community," Miles smirked.

"Well, I guess news travels slowly," Gerald muttered under his breath. Arnold tried his hardest to hold back a laugh.

"Can we get back to the interview?" an over-dressed news anchor pointed her microphone and manicured hands at the camera, directing the man back to focus on Miles and Stella. "You were just telling us about your past sixteen years in San Lorenzo. How did you help The Green Eyes?"

"We cured them of their fatal sleeping sickness," Stella replied, trying to keep her focus on the newswoman rather than the camera. "Our plane had crashed after our arrival. Luckily we survived, but none of our radios could pick up a frequency. So we were stuck."

"Until our son and his friends came looking for us," Miles added, pointing at Arnold.

"And what took him so long to find you?" the newswoman asked.

Everyone in the room turned to Arnold except Miles and Stella. Both seemed to cover their faces with their hands, even if it lasted only a brief second.

They had never really talked about it.

_Shit, _Arnold thought.

"I. . .uh, was a child. I didn't really know any better. I always thought they'd just come back one day, you know? Childhood innocence and everything."

The news anchor just seemed more intrigued with Arnold's answer. "How _did_ you manage to find them?"

Arnold was a smart kid. He knew how to think on his feet. So leaving out a few minor details about losing his grandparents, the fire, and a few other things would be the best option. "I had stumbled on my dad's old journal when I was younger. I spent years memorizing the maps and writings in there. I just knew them by heart, so after my baseball coach got sick, I decided to just draw it out and go."

The interview suddenly switched focus back to Miles and Stella, so Arnold quickly ran up the stairs with Gerald on his heels.

Gerald quickly searched his bag for the medicated muscle soothing cream, "So, your parents are famous now."

Arnold laughed and shrugged out of his shirt, "That was just the local news. No one watches the news anymore."

Gerald didn't hold his friend's skepticism. "I don't know man, someone else could see the story. You could end up on one of those talk shows that my mom watches. . . .What's her name? Opal?"

Arnold grabbed the Icy Hot from Gerald's hands, playfully punching him as he did so. "There is no way I am ending up on a news show talking about my parents. People don't care about my life. And if they did. . .well, that's just way too weird."

**H-A!-H-A!**

Gerald rolled his eyes before opening his cell phone and sending a new text message: I TOLD U SO.

Arnold's response was immediate: FUCK U

DONT GET MAD AT ME. I WAS RIGHT

Arnold shut off his phone and shifted against the leather couch. It was way too small of a room and way too crowded in here.

Miles and Stella had been practically shoved into booking a month long "tour." On that tour they'd speak to universities and other places of distinction, like museums, sharing their experience and findings about ancient civilizations to the world. They had left right after Thanksgiving and had come home December 23rd. After Christmas, Arnold had been dragged to New York with them to shoot their final interview. After that they'd only talk in private with museums and research labs.

He was uncomfortable being involved in everything because it meant he'd have to talk about his personal life. Granted, he had no problem about saying things in Hillwood, but that was _home. _This was _national. _World-wide, even.

Arnold was cramped in the Green Room at the backstage of _The Opal Show_. Assistants were flying in and out of the room, doing his parent's make-up and hair and trying to make sure everyone's mics worked. It was chaos. Girls were shoving other girls to get to a certain spot, people were smashed up against the wall, and clothes were being tossed from one end of the room to the other.

Arnold refused to wear anything the show tried to put him in. He was _not _going to be wearing skinny jeans or a vest, and he definitely didn't plan on taking off his shirt. Under his red plaid button down he was wearing a shirt Sheena had ordered for him after the rally she held at school. It was from the FCK H8 campaign and said ST8 AGAINST H8. On the back Helga had written FOR LUCAS & EUGENE. It was his new favorite shirt.

"Two minutes!" a voice announced over an intercom. The dozens of people quickly finished up any final touches to wardrobe and make-up before disappearing.

"I know you didn't want to do this, Arnold," Stella began, "but we really appreciate you coming out here."

"Anything to get you guys back home again," he replied through a smile.

Miles wrapped his arm around his son, "Now we're live for almost two hours. Think you'll be okay?"

"Just as long as I don't have to speak." Everyone laughed.

A short, bald man in an all black outfit entered the Green Room. He looked up from his clipboard and snapped, "Miles and Stella, come with me."

"What about Arnold?"

"I'll come get him when he's needed. Come on, only one minute to show!" He grabbed Miles' sleeve and directed him towards the stage. Arnold returned to his seat on the couch, happy that he could finally stretch out and relax.

The small TV hanging above him played _The Opal Show _theme song, accompanied with cheesy glittery graphics of her name. Arnold smiled at the sight of his parents sitting on the overstuffed white couch. The set tried to be homey and relaxing, between the two couches stood a small table and a vase full of fresh, colorful daises. The thing that destroyed the home decor was the giant projector screen resting a few feet behind the couches.

It was weird to see his parents on television. Especially in high definition.

Arnold refused to think of his parents as _old, _granted they were only in their late forties, but still. . .No one over thirty should be seen in high definition.

The fifty-year-old African American talk show host grinned at the camera as it zoomed in on her, "Welcome to today's show, I'm Opal and I'm sitting here with Dr. and Dr. Shortman, an anthropologist and botanist couple who disappeared sixteen years ago in San Lorenzo."

The crowd applauded and the camera both panned over to the smiling couple.

"Calling us Miles and Stella is fine," Miles said for what felt like the thousandth time.

Opal nodded, "Now what was your business in San Lorenzo?"

Stella smiled, "We had to help save the ancient culture of The Green Eyes from a terrible sleeping sickness."

Opal glanced down at the stack of papers in her lap, "You mentioned in other interviews the science and history behind saving these people. What about socially? Was it hard to adapt from a city life to isolation?"

"Yes, it was. But we had done it so many times before, we had figured everything would be okay."

Opal leaned forwards as if she was about to confess a secret, "And it wasn't?"

Miles shook his head, "No, we piloted our own plane and it crashed. It was destroyed, but thankfully the crash didn't hurt anyone."

"Then what happened?"

"We did our work to help save The Green Eyes from dying out. We were unable to make contact with the world, so we were stuck in San Lorenzo."

Opal nodded, "You were there for sixteen years. How did it feel knowing your son was growing up without you?"

"Damn she just goes right into it," Arnold muttered aloud to himself.

"In one word," Miles started. "Terrible," Stella finished, "We felt awful for leaving him. He was only two-years-old when we left."

"And we couldn't have taken him with us. He was actually born in San Lorenzo, but when growing up there proved to be dangerous, we had to bring him home."

Opal smiled, "Now you've got to meet him, all grown up."

"Yes. It's weird, considering we missed out on almost everything in his life. I mean, we were there for his first steps, first words. We just missed his first day of school, meeting his friends, you know, parenting stuff."

"Who was he raised by?"

"My parents," Miles said, breaking out into a laugh. "Sometimes I'm amazed he's still in one piece. My parents were characters. But he's actually a really great kid. He's accomplished a lot without our help, we're very proud of him."

"Aww, that's wonderful." Opal covered her heart with her hand. "When we get back from commercial we'll talk about what it was like to reconnect with him."

Arnold watched the commercials, mind buzzing. He had never asked his parents how it felt to see him again. He just assumed it was good, and that they were happy.

"And we're back," the camera zoomed in on Opal once again for a moment, before panning back to the full stage. Miles and Stella both smiled at the camera before turning back to Opal. "We were just discussing what Miles and Stella, two missing scientists from the jungles of San Lorenzo, felt about reuniting with their son again." Opal turned to face the Shortmans again.

"I was stunned, to be honest." Stella smiled, "When I had last seen Arnold he was a little baby, and then, _poof! _There he is standing tall at six feet! I was shocked, but it was so wonderful to see him again."

"I felt whole at that moment," Miles said. "We were a family again, and to have that feeling was great."

Stella's hand intertwined with Miles'. "We had missed him so much. After hugging, we all broke down and cried together."

"It was great to see him again, but we all knew it would be awkward. We didn't know anything about our own kid! For the first few hours we didn't really have much to say to each other, but every night since then we've shared stories. We're trying to catch up on sixteen years here."

Opal nodded understandingly. "What's Arnold like?"

"We've asked everybody in Hillwood that," Miles laughed. "Everyone says he's the nicest kid around. He tells us that all he does is give advice and look on the bright side."

"He's very mature for his age," Stella mused. "I assume that's because he grew up in a boarding house with all adults, but we'll never know for sure."

"Everyone says he day dreams a lot," Miles continued.

Stella shoved Miles' shoulder, laughing, "I wonder where he got that from?" Miles blushed and shrugged. Opal started laughing.

Arnold was extremely embarrassed. He was about to turn off the TV, but the Green Room door opened. Arnold jumped to his feet, anxiety and nerves bubbling in his stomach.

Oh, _God_ he had to talk about himself on television. He didn't even want to do this, oh my god, he _so_ did not want to do this. Who cared about _him_? This was about his parents, not him!

"And here he comes now," Arnold heard Opal's voice, but was blinded momentarily by the set lighting. He stumbled for a second, almost falling on his face, but ignored the trip and smiled. He shook Opal's hand and sat down on the couch, surprised to see that his parents had disappeared.

Suddenly this felt like a terrible nightmare. _Oh my god, _was he even clothed?

"Welcome to the show, Arnold."

"Uh, thanks for having me," Arnold replied, hearing the nerves in his voice. He smiled for a second, commanding himself to relax.

Everyone in Hillwood had been watching the show. But everyone who knew Arnold knew how anxious he was to have to talk about himself. Gerald covered his face with his hands as if he was embarrassed. He knew Arnold was going to say something stupid.

Arnold wasn't one to get tongue tied easily. Gerald knew that in front of the crowd, the bright set lights, and the fact his parents weren't around, Arnold would fumble.

"Tell us about yourself, Arnold."

"Why would you want to know anything about me?" He forced a laugh, "I'm not a missing scientist."

Gerald groaned. This would be a train wreck. But he couldn't look away or touch the remote.

Opal put her hand on Arnold's shaking knee, trying to establish a caring connection. His body stilled. "You're the son of two missing scientists. We just want to know what you were up to before you found your parents, and now, that you've found them."

"Oh. Well, uh, I'm a senior in high school now. I'm the pitcher on my school's baseball team. We actually won state and national championships last year. I'm signed at the University of South Carolina for baseball next year."

"Congratulations."

"Thanks. My parents were pretty excited. I just feel bad, though, since I have to leave them so soon."

"But you're exited though? College is a pretty big deal."

"Oh, yeah, I hear it's great. I'm just going to miss all of my family and friends. And I'll have to start on a new baseball team and work with new teammates. It'll take a while to get used to it."

"Are you leaving a lot of people behind?"

Arnold nodded, smiling as he felt his brain hotwire and recite everyone in the Hillwood neighborhood. His old classmates, his friends, his neighbors. He knew everyone. "Yeah. Hillwood's a big city, but the neighborhood is a close-knit community. I've grown up with so many people. I know the shop owners and they're all like family to me. I'm leaving behind a lot of memories, friends and my girlfriend. But it's not like I'll never see them again, you know? It's just. . .we're all growing up."

Opal's expression seemed to brighten at Arnold's mentioning of a girlfriend. "And what's it like with your girlfriend?"

Helga flew off the couch and sat as close to the screen as she could before feeling her vision go blurry.

Arnold shrugged, unsure where to _start, _really. "Well, I've known her since we were three. But we've been together over a year. I really love her. We've had our problems, just like all couples do, so it's not a big deal. And, I don't know. . ." Arnold paused, feeling a large grin unconsciously spread across his face. "It seems stupid to be so serious at such a young age, but love is love and, I mean, I don't really know what my future holds, I just want her with me."

Helga covered her mouth, more to hold in her squeals of joy than to hide her shock. Phoebe laughed at her friend's reaction, immediately reaching for the remote to turn the volume up.

"Wow. That's a very mature thought to have at such a young age. How did your parents react when they found out?"

Arnold laughed again, "My dad was really impressed, but he really likes her since she's the one who found her in the forest."

"What was she doing in the jungles of San Lorenzo?"

"Her mom paid for the expedition. I rented a small plane and gathered up a few of my teammates and we went on a search for them. I had my dad's map from one of his old journals memorized, so I knew vaguely where to go."

"That's impressive. Did your dad's map help?"

"It lead us right to him, more or less. It was a good day when we finally found them."

Opal nodded, "What's it like now, that they're home and away from San Lorenzo?"

"It's amazing to have them home. I've missed them so much. Some times things have been awkward since we're not used to being together, but none of that really matters. It's great to just sit down on the couch at the end of the day and listen to their stories. Their adventures in flight, in the jungles, stories about my months in San Lorenzo. Hearing those stories makes the time we spent apart seem like just a few days instead of sixteen years." Arnold knew he was rambling, but he just couldn't bring himself to stop. "I'm very fortunate to have found them, and I'm happy that they're not treating me like I'm a child. They know I'm a young adult and act accordingly. It's almost like we're friends instead of just parents and a child."

"And we'll be right back after this," Opal added before the camera shut off.

The rest of the interview consisted of more questions about Miles and Stella's work and what the family's future plans were. Arnold got to talk about his FCK H8 shirt and all of the current issues that went along with it. Opal was shocked upon hearing news of the murder, and promptly began a petition against bullying.

Half an hour later the interview ended and Arnold couldn't have been happier. He had missed his parents while they toured. All he wanted was to go home again.

**H-A!-H-A!**_  
_

Phoebe forced a fake laugh, "No, Helga, I'm okay, really."

Helga snorted, rolling her eyes on the other end of the phone. "I just hadn't heard from you since yesterday morning after the interview. I was worried."

"I spent yesterday with my parents. Shouldn't you be welcoming Arnold home now?"

"No, Arnold's meeting with Gerald first. I have him all day tomorrow. I thought Gerald told you that." There was a moment of silence. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes." Phoebe added as an afterthought, "I'm fine."

Helga knew that tone. It was the one she always used when she felt truly miserable and tried to hide it with a good attitude. Helga narrowed her eyes at the phone, "You don't sound fine."

Helga imagined Phoebe shift uncomfortably against the phone, closing her eyes tight as she tried to find the right way to word things. Phoebe always had a habit of turning into such an extreme intellectual when things were wrong.

"You're right, I'm not."

There was an unmissable crack in Phoebe's voice.

_Shit. _Helga jumped to her feet. "What's wrong, Phoebe? I'm already half-way out my door."

"It's nothing," she sighed, "Gerald and I just got into an argument, and it went on for the better part of today. He just left a little while ago. To go greet Arnold, I guess."

Leave it to Phoebe to avoid talking about the important things. "What did he _say_?"

That broke Phoebe down. She had been trying her hardest not to let the argument get to her, but hearing Helga's concern for her just made her weak inside. She began crying into the phone, struggling to get the words out between sobs.

Helga stood on the sidewalk, stunned for a moment. She had never heard Phoebe cry before. _Oh Jesus, _Helga felt an anger boiling up inside of her. "Phoebe?" she asked hesitantly.

Helga knew she was going to have to talk some serious sense into Gerald.

There was a shuddering breath, followed by a choked up voice, "Gerald broke up with me."

Correction: Helga was going to have to kill him.

* * *

**A/N 2**: Well, the Extavaganza is over, but the drama's just begun!

Happy One Year to all of my readers who've stuck by me through this time. I wish for many more years.

I know the chapters got progressively shorter as I went on, but it's _hard _putting out four really good, drama filled chapters in a week. So I hope you forgive me if they royally suck as time progresses.

And I've never done this before, but, uh. . . _review_, please?


	20. Pinky and the Brain

**Love is Like A Baseball Bat**

_Chapter Twenty: Pinky and the Brain_**  
**

* * *

Helga snapped out of her momentary trance, anger boiling her blood. How the fuck could he just do that? _Seriously, _what the fuck! Why in the world would Gerald ever break up with Phoebe? They were the perfect couple!

"Pheebs, I hate to do this, but I have to call you back."

Phoebe gasped, "Helga, _no, _don't-"

Screaming in anger and frustration, Helga tossed her cell phone across the room. She hurriedly bolted down the stairs in two seconds, ignoring the fact that she was still in her pajamas. Her frenzied pace increased steadily as she ran barefoot down the middle of the street.

Phoebe remained frozen, her cell phone still cupped at her ear. She didn't know what to do. Was Gerald the one in serious danger or was Helga?

Arnold knew it was coming. He could sense her distress a mile away.

So it was no surprise that he and Gerald threw themselves against Gerald's front door, applying all the pressure they could to keep Helga from coming in and hurting Gerald.

"YOU MOTHER FUCKER!" Helga screamed, forcing her arm in through the small crack she had created. The boy's pushed harder against the door, causing her to quickly retract her hand before it became broken.

"Helga," Arnold yelled over her angry shouts, "as much as I'd love your assistance in beating Gerald's stupid ass, now is not the time."

"_Dude_," Gerald hissed, clearly offended.

Arnold lowered his voice, "Well, you are being one!"

Gerald's tone hardened, "This coming from the guy who cheated on his girlfriend in front of her."

"STOP FIGHTING BETWEEN YOURSELVES AND LET ME IN SO I CAN FIGHT BOTH OF YOU!" Helga slammed her hand into the door, right where Gerald had pressed his head. Wincing in pain, Gerald stepped back. Helga quickly pushed forwards and made her way into the house.

Gerald dove back a few steps, Arnold acting fast and grabbing Helga by the waist. "Calm down!" Gerald fell back against his staircase, body curled into a ball for protection.

"Not until he's bruised!" Helga snarled back. She continued to struggle, bucking her body wildly back and forth, legs trying to find a grip against Arnold's body to launch herself at the steps.

Gerald relaxed slightly when he saw that Arnold had a strong grip on her. "Jesus, Pataki, if I didn't know any better I'd say you were mad at me."

"Not the time for jokes," Arnold warned.

"Why? Just tell me why!" Helga demanded.

Gerald was silent, eyes locked on the floor in front of him. The tension in the room could be sliced with a knife.

"He hasn't said anything about this to me either. I just found out a minute ago," Arnold whispered. Helga finally relaxed in Arnold's arms, but she continued to glare at Gerald.

"Come on, we're all _friends _here." Arnold could tell from Helga's tone that 'friend' was the last thing Gerald was to her. "Just talk to me." Gerald closed his eyes and shook his head, refusing to look up. "You're either stupid or you're acting stupid," Helga snarled.

"That's the same thing!" Gerald replied.

"No, you're either one guy or the other. You're either being stupid because it's something you can't change, or you're _acting _stupid to hide the real reason you're upset. Both of those guys are idiots."

Gerald finally looked up at Helga's fists. She looked ready to snap at any second. "Can I be the guy who doesn't get pulverized?"

Helga smirked, "He doesn't exist!"

"Threats are getting us nowhere," Arnold interrupted. "Besides, shouldn't you be checking up on Phoebe?"

Helga nodded, eyes narrowing at Gerald. "I'm still not done with you."

Gerald waved her away with the back of his hand, clearly over his fear.

Arnold and Gerald continued to stand in the front hallway of the Johanssen house in silence. Arnold could tell that Gerald did not want to talk about it, but he deserved some sort of explanation. At this point, Arnold would even take an obvious lie. "So-" he began.

"Look, Arnold, just leave me alone." Arnold froze, confused by Gerald's abrupt and angry tone. "I'm going for a walk. Enjoy my house," Gerald quickly slammed the front door and ran.

Two hours later later, Gerald was found. Not that anyone was really looking - he was an adult, he could handle himself.

He was found by the last person he ever wanted to see: big brother Jamie-O.

Gerald had been mindlessly shooting hoops at the old public court. The basket was rusted and the net was falling apart. Brush covered the court and the place looked like a dump, but it didn't matter to him. He found an almost decent ball and began aggressively shooting. He needed to let his anger out somehow.

"Gerald Martin Johanssen," Jamie-O grinned. "You're lucky I found you. Mrs. Vitello saw you sprint past her store and was worried. She called the house."

"Great story," Gerald replied, lining up his next shot.

"Drop the act. Arnold's been bugging out, man. And I heard that crazy blond chick screaming at you earlier. What did you do?"

"Nothing!" Gerald shouted as he missed his shot. He groaned in frustration and tugged on his red 33 jersey. At that moment he wanted to rip it in half.

Jamie-O walked onto the court and stood a few feet back. He crossed his arms over his chest, "Did you offend someone? Get in a fight and knock a kid out?" Jamie-O and Gerald were now even in height, over six feet, but Jamie-O had more intimidating muscles. From a distance the boys looked almost like twins, they had the same body shape - broad shoulders, long legs and torso.

Gerald dribbled the ball between his legs, "No, I didn't do any of that."

"Then what?"

Gerald finally looked his older brother in the eyes. Immediately Jamie-O understood. He could see the confusion and hurt in his little brother's eyes. "Girlfriend trouble?"

"Ex-girlfriend trouble, you mean," Gerald replied before turning his back.

"Excuse me?" Gerald didn't respond. Instead he dribbled the ball, lining himself up for a three point shot. Jamie-O quickly stood in front of him and took the ball away. "You and Phoebe broke up?"

"Give me back my ball!"

Jamie-O tossed it over the fence and watched it roll onto the other side of the street. "You and Phoebe _broke up_?" he repeated.

"Yes," Gerald replied through gritted teeth. He was pissed about losing the ball.

"Why?

Gerald sighed, "It's complicated."

"Did you cheat on her?" There was a pause, followed by a loud gasp. "Is she pregnant?

"No!" Gerald shoved his brother back a few steps. "God, shut up, Jamie-O! And be serious dude, even if she was - _which she's not -_ I wouldn't leave her."

"Alright, then I've ruled out all the reasons for a couple like you to break up."

"'Couple like you', what does that mean?"

"Where's your brain?" Jamie-O teased, but Gerald still looked clueless. "Don't judge me for how corny this is," Jamie-O began, rocking on his heels. Jamie-O's tone was suddenly soft and serious and Gerald was intrigued.

The brothers sat down on the ground, backs against the rusting iron fence. Jamie-O nodded his head irregularly as he spoke, "You and Phoebe have something so few people ever find. Hardly anyone falls in love anymore, let alone face-to-face. I mean, what you guys have is a beautiful thing. . . .Even after all these years Phoebe still lights up when you walk into a room. I've noticed." He chuckled, "It's impossible not to. You guys know everything about each other, all the other's faults and problems and you still wake up every day ready to face them with the other. It's incredible, sometimes, how sickeningly adorable you two are together."

Gerald remained silent. This was all news to him.

"You think it's great being me?" He scoffed. "Five girls a month and all the random, drunk hookups I can get?"

Gerald tossed a few crumpled leaves into the air. "Isn't that every man's dream?"

"No, it's not. It's no man's dream. That's just something movies say. Sure, it's great for like a day, but once you mature it's a nightmare. Guys want relationships as much, if not more, than girls do. It's bullshit the work you have to put forth to get to know so many different women who don't even stick around. The girl's know you're not serious, no matter how hard you try. You just have to search through all the bad girls to find your one good one."

Jamie-O rested his hand on Gerald's shoulder, "But not you. You found her. You have her."

"_Had _her," Gerald shot back angrily.

"So you guys got in a fight and broke up. That doesn't mean it's over. Maybe this is what you need."

"What? Total separation?"

Jamie-O laughed and helped his brother to his feet. "No. A new beginning."

_H-A!-H-A!_

"ROBBER!" Miles screamed, throwing the television remote at the hooded figure in the living room doorway. The figure side stepped the weak attack.

"Very funny," Helga replied as she removed her sunglasses. Her black hood still remained over her head.

"When did you get a key?"

"A few months ago?" Helga shrugged, toying with the key chain. "I don't know. Maybe this is Arnold's."

Miles rose to his feet, "What are you doing here? You're not allowed over after ten."

Arnold rolled his eyes. His parent's new rules weren't really settling well with Helga. She wasn't allowed to sleep over, be over past ten on school nights, Arnold couldn't stay over at her place, and they had to keep the door open if they were ever in Arnold's room. They had gotten strict due to baseball and his grades. At least, that's what they said. Arnold was pretty sure they were secretly uncomfortable with the whole idea of their son having sex.

Even though Helga respected Miles and Stella, she ignored most of the rules. She usually would come up onto the roof, just like she had many years ago.

"This is an emergency," Helga replied, removing the hood off her head.

"Oh my god," Arnold's eyes grew wide as he stared at his girlfriend.

Miles choked on his drink, trying (and failing) to cover up his laugh with a cough. Miles had to leave the living room in order to stop laughing.

Arnold couldn't stop staring at her. He was pretty sure his jaw was going to fall off.

Helga rocked back and forth on her heels, chewing her lip anxiously between her teeth. "Well? Say something."

"Your hair is bright pink."

"Thank you, Captain Obvious. I had _no idea_."

"Why?"

"I just wanted highlights and pink on the ends, but the idiot hair dresser got confused."

"Why would you dye your hair in the first place?"

Helga sighed and collapsed onto the couch. Arnold slid closer to her and smiled. "I fell into the evil clutches of Rhonda, who took all of the girls out for makeovers to cheer up Phoebe. She had a good time, forgot about her drama, and enjoyed my hair."

Helga rolled her eyes, "The hairdresser encouraged me to let her add some style to my hair, and once she said she'd be dying it, I figured adding in some pink to the ends wouldn't hurt anything. I thought, 'What's the worst that could happen?'"

"And somehow all of it turned pink?"

"She mixed up the bowls." Helga pulled the ends of her hair from being tucked into her shirt, revealing bleach blond ends. Helga collapsed onto Arnold's shoulder. "I look like a fucking idiot."

"No, you don't."

Helga shoved Arnold back, "Don't even try that supportive bullshit, Arnold. I look ridiculous."

"Maybe a little bit. But it suits you." Helga stared at him, confused. "It's a bold statement. And you're a bold girl."

Helga laughed dryly, "Thanks."

"Besides, I know by tomorrow you'll be content and rock it."

"Oh, that's right. It's Monday tomorrow." Suddenly, Helga's eyes went wide as she remembered. "I'm meeting with BC's rep tomorrow! Oh, no!" She covered her face with her hands, "Fuck!"

"It's okay, you'll do fine. Have you finished all your paperwork?"

"Haven't even started. Goddamn Gerald and Phoebe drama pulled me away from everything. Can I use your computer?"

"Yeah, sure, come on." Arnold and Helga quietly tip-toed upstairs, hoping not to wake Stella, Mai or Mr. Hyunh.

Arnold readied himself for bed as Helga began filling out her forms. "Do you ever worry about college, Football Head?"

"Sometimes," he admitted. "I worry about what I'm going to do with my life. But other than that it's just a. . .wondering, I guess."

Helga bit onto the end of the pen, trying her hardest to think of the correct information. She really should've written down all her extracurricular activities. "Wondering about. . ."

"If I'll like South Carolina, or my roommate, or what my parents are going to do with another free room."

"Arnold, you are the most easy going person around. If you don't like your roommate then there must be something seriously wrong with that boy."

The couple laughed. Helga quickly returned to her paperwork, unaware that Arnold was watching her.

She finally glanced at him from the corner of her eyes. She spun around in his desk chair and smiled at him. Suddenly the distance from Arnold's desk to his bed seemed like miles.

"What's with that lovey-dovey look?" Helga asked.

"You're beautiful."

Helga laughed, "Shut up, Arnoldo. I look like a pink highlighter right now."

Arnold crossed the room. "I don't care if you have pink hair or no hair or zits or you gain a ton of weight-" He laughed and tickled her side, "not like you haven't tried."

"Hey!" Helga protested, but laughed along. Her diet was terrible: fast food, junk food, take-out food. Miram cooked once a week, but that was not enough to keep Helga cooking for herself. She just never seemed to put on more than a few pounds. And they were usually lost when Helga joined baseball practices.

His hands graced her chin then curved upwards, following the lines of her jaw and up to her temple. "I don't care if you decide to grow back your one eyebrow," he traced the gap between her two perfectly manicured brows, smiling as she wrinkled her nose and forehead, "just as long as you're happy."

"But what if I'm not happy with something?"

"Then it's my job to cheer you up. Don't worry about your interview, you'll do great. And I'm sure whoever does it will get a kick out of your pink hair. But for now. . ." Arnold's voice trailed off as he scooped Helga up into his arms. "For now all that matters is you and I."

* * *

**APPLICATION TO BOSTON COLLEGE **

JANUARY 18, 2011**  
**

FULL NAME: Helga Geraldine Pataki

GENDER: Female

D.O.B: 03/26/1993

ADDRESS: 4155 Linnean Avenue ~ CITY: Hillwood ~ ZIP CODE: 20008

PHONE NUMBER: 202-686-5807 (C)

EMAIL: hgpataki at gwhigh. org

HIGH SCHOOL: George Washington High School ~ GRADUATION DATE: June 24, 2011

HAVE YOU SUFFERED ANY INJURIES/ILLNESSES THAT COULD HAVE AFFECTED YOUR SCHOOL WORK: Minor concussion

_~~FAMILY INFORMATION: _

My parent(s)/legal guardian(s) are: married - separated - _divorced_ - deceased

FATHER: Robert Pataki ~ OCCUPATION: Currently Unknown ~ EDUCATION: College Graduate ~ ADDRESS: 8956 Franklin Street, Apt. 349, Boston, MA 02101

MOTHER: Miriam Pataki ~ OCCUPATION: Beeper Emporium Manager ~ EDUCATION: High School Graduate ~ ADDRESS: same as home

SIBLING(S): Olga Pataki ~ EDUCATION: College Graduate ADDRESS: 298 Summer Drive, Juneau, Alaska 99801

_~~MORE INFORMATION: Please send an official copy of all high school transcripts and SAT/ACT Scores as soon as possible. _

G.P.A (estimate): 3.0

ACT SCORES: Overall: 25 ~ 30 English ~ 20 Science ~ 22 Mathematics ~ 30 Reading ~ Optional: 12 Writing

EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES: GWHS newspaper (9, 10); Varsity Baseball - Hillwood Jays pitcher (11); Kid's Baseball Camp coach (11); Participant on a rescue expedition to San Lorenzo (12); Co-founder of GWHS Anti-Bullying League (12)

APPLYING IN-STATE TUITION?: Yes

_If you answered yes, please fill out the appropriate forms. They can be found online on our college website._

POTENTIAL MAJOR: English

_~~ESSAYS: Please answer two of these questions in five hundred words or less._

1. Why do you think Boston College is the right fit for you?

2. Describe a moment in your life that had the greatest impact and shaped who you are as a person.

3. If you could meet one person, dead or alive, from history, who would you meet and why?

* * *

Helga held the stacks of paper in her hands, trembling. She had never been this nervous about anything before. She was dreading this interview.

She had convinced herself that if she was going to apply, and hopefully attend, Boston College, she might as well use Bob to her advantage. He had been living there for almost six months, and that was long enough to apply for in-state tuition. She had to beg Olga to talk to Bob about it, and he reluctantly agreed. Helga figured he'd just get all the money from Miriam.

Whatever. As long as she got in and got her tuition paid it didn't matter. She'd get a job if she had to.

Her worries were more beyond potential payment. What if the interviewer didn't like her? Then she would have absolutely zero chance. This interviewer would read her application in the decision room, discuss her potential with the administration of the school. If there was one flaw, she had from now until April to fix it.

Helga tugged on her blond ends again in frustration. She had shown up to school dressed up, wearing a simple black dress and a navy blazer, with a thin pink belt around her waist to make everything look symmetrical with her hair. Phoebe had complimented her for tying her pink hair up in a tight bun, leaving a few short strands hanging loose.

God, she wished she could just dye it back to blond. But she had to wait two weeks or else she'd permanently ruin her hair.

The college counselor's office door suddenly opened and a girl Helga recognized from her biology class last year stepped out. A tall, thin man in a dark blue Boston College windbreaker grinned, "Helga?"

Helga rose to her feet, nerves making her fumble in heels. She was so incredibly tense. Oh, God, how did people do this for jobs?

"Hi," she shook the man's hand. He smiled and opened the office door wider, allowing her to step inside.

The office itself was plain, cream colored walls with framed diplomas everywhere. A small file cabinet rested beside the door, while a large window over looked the front of the school and the city street. The desk sat off to the right side, with two chairs on the other side for guests. Helga took a seat and anxiously crossed and uncrossed her legs.

"I'm Jim, your state representative for Boston College."

"Hi," she mumbled again.

Jim glanced over her paperwork with his dark eyes, a smile never leaving his face. Helga couldn't help but wonder if his muscles had frozen like that. Once he seemed satisfied, he stared at her.

"I'd just like to apologize for my hair," she blushed. "There was an accident at the salon. It wasn't supposed to be bright pink."

"I think it's pretty rockin'," he said before bursting into laughter. "Oh, gross, that makes me sound so old. I'm only twenty-seven. I'm a BC alum myself."

"Cool."

Jim turned her application over again, eyes scanning over her family information. "I'm sure everyone at the admissions board would love to know that a potential student had bright pink hair. It'll definitely get you remembered." He smirked. "I see from your tests scores that English is your strong suit."

"Yes, Sir. Poetry is my passion. Well, that and baseball."

"Interesting. Ah, yes, I see, you were on the varsity team. You played on the boy's?" Jim closed the packet again, resting his interlaced fingers under his chin.

"Correct. We don't have softball here, so I joined the boy's baseball team."

"Is there a reason you didn't continue this year?"

Helga blushed, "Yes. . ." She let out a nervous laugh. "Our Coach found a better, younger pitcher. And he was a guy too."

"Oh," Jim replied, clearly unsure what to say. A moment of awkward silence passed through the room. "Have you ever been to Boston?"

"Yes, I had to live there for a few months last November. That's another reason why I'm not on the team this year, high school regulations."

"Right, of course. Why did you move to Boston?"

"My dad didn't want me playing baseball."

"Sounds like you've had a pretty busy year." Helga laughed, _If only you knew, bucko._ "From what I've heard, your team traveled internationally in June?"

"Yes, we didn't finish the competition though. Still, being High School National Champions is pretty cool."

"Very. Are you taking any special classes this year?"

"Senior year's been kind of chaotic. I feel like I'm never in class." _Because I'm not, _she mentally added.

"What's got you so busy?"

"College apps have been pretty stressful. And I still play baseball with the team, even if I can't go to games. Lately I've been helping my mom at work, also been seeing friends and trying to write some poetry. I've been sort of lacking inspiration."

"Oh, that's terrible."

"Yeah, well. . .actually, it's not too bad." Helga laughed, "Most of my poems were about unrequited love. But now it's not." A grin spread across her face. "It's just love."

This was definitely getting way to personal for a college interview, but Helga didn't care.

Jim seemed unfazed. "What else have you been up to?"

Helga sat back in her chair, feeling herself begin to relax. Maybe she'd do well in this interview after all.

_H-A!-H-A!_

Gerald had the hardest time at baseball practice. He was distracted, still thinking about what Jamie-O had said. He had never heard his brother so emotional or deep before. It had freaked him out, mostly because his brother was right. But Gerald didn't know what to say to Phoebe, or how to even look at her without wanting to crawl into a hole and die. He felt like the world's biggest jackass.

He couldn't even remember what he had yelled at her about. And it had only been a day.

_A new beginning_. That's what he had to do.

A second first date.

Gerald grinned. He was a genius.

"Heads up!" Thad yelled from home plate. Iggy and James quickly ducked, leaving Gerald open.

"DUCK!" Arnold screamed, snapping Gerald out of his zone.

Gerald flinched away just in time.

"Alright, everyone take five!" Diedrek yelled. "Johanssen needs a drink!"

The team hustled into the dug out, everyone mindful of Gerald's weird actions.

"Dude, what's up with you?" Arnold asked.

"I need to borrow something."

_H-A!-H-A!_

After baseball practice got cut short, Gerald had been very specific that he tell no one - especially not Helga - about his plans. So he erased the memory from his mind and started his homework.

Unfortunately. . .well, fortunately, Helga showed up at the Sunset Arms around eight.

Helga grinned and undid her belt slowly, painfully so. Arnold forced himself to remain frozen against the couch. If he moved, he'd start to get rough.

She carefully slipped out of her blazer and heels, smile still a mile wide on her face. Crossing the room at a snail's pace, Helga finally made it to the couch. She straddled Arnold's lap, running her fingers through his cornflower colored hair. She quickly pressed her lips against his.

"We should go to my room," Arnold panted when they broke for air. Helga was listening, instead she was tugging off Arnold's shirt and unbuttoning his jeans.

"No one's home, I checked."

"Still-" Arnold's protest was swallowed back when Helga kissed him again. Helga pulled Arnold's hips off the couch to remove his jeans. Arnold's hands snaked around Helga's neck and tugged her dress down, letting it pool around her hips. She stood up for a moment to remove it completely. Arnold smiled and started a kissing trial up her shoulder, playfully biting her bra strap and pulling it down. Helga laughed as his lips barely graced her neck.

Arnold finally met his lips with Helga's again, deepening the kiss as he removed her bra.

That's when the sound of keys turning in the front door were drowned out by two moans.

Stella walked through the door, confused by the sounds she was hearing. She took one small glance at what was happening _on her living room couch, _screamed, and backed out the front door.

Helga and Arnold froze, both internally panicking.

It was dead silent for five minutes. Stella hadn't returned, Helga was still wearing only her panties, and Arnold hadn't breathed.

"I think it's safe to say I won't be allowed back here for a little while. . ." Helga whispered as she slowly backed off of Arnold's lap. Arnold was still too stunned to respond.

Helga quickly dressed herself. "I'm going out the back," she kissed Arnold's cheek before running through the hallway and kitchen.

That's when she was greeted by a stunned Miles and Stella.

* * *

**A/N:** DUN DUN DUN. Suspense on both ends. What does Gerald need? And what is Helga going to do? Stay tuned for the next chapter! :)

-Helga's address and phone number on her college application is for the Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens in Washington DC. Bob's address is made up.


	21. The Beginning or The End?

**Love is Like A Baseball Bat**

_Chapter Twenty-One: The Beginning or The End?  
_

* * *

"I don't know what's worse, the fact that they were both almost naked or the fact that it was on our living room couch!"

Miles directed a pointed look at Stella. "She's not our kid."

"Although it's starting to feel like she is one."

Okay, _ouch. _The sentiment behind the words were supposed to be nice but Helga didn't know that could sound like such a terrible thing. It felt like a kick to the stomach a little bit with Stella's venomous tone.

"I'm sorry, Helga-"

"No, don't _you_ apologize!" Stella interrupted her husband.

Helga flinched at the level of Stella's voice. It was like the universe hated her. From getting dragged to the Shortman's house by a cop for skinny dipping to getting pink hair to _this - _getting caught almost completely naked in her boyfriend's living room - Helga was having a rough month.

Stella was still shocked, her face pale and eyes wide but angry. Miles looked embarrassed for his wife's reactions.

Arnold walked into the kitchen, now fully dressed. "Oh, hey, Helga. I didn't know you were here."

Miles lost his composure and burst into laughter. "Nice try, Short Man."

Helga pointed to the door, opening her mouth to speak. Instead of saying something, she shut her mouth and walked to the backdoor. It was silent for another moment as Helga opened it. She was still debating about saying something. _Anything _to make this situation better.

"It was nice to see you again Dr. and Dr. Shortman," Helga mumbled as she shut the door.

Arnold was confused. No one called his parents that, _especially _not his girlfriend who found them in the forest of San Lorenzo. Arnold pointed to his parents, "I'll be right back! Don't move!"

He chased Helga out the door. "Helga! Helga!" He finally caught up to her as she neared the front of his house, "What was that about? No one calls my parents 'doctor'! Not even their patients!"

Helga kept her eyes focused on the pavement, "It was nothing."

"You're clearly lying," Arnold picked her chin up to stare at her in the eyes. "Just tell me, did they yell at you? Because they still don't really understand the fact that you can't punish-"

"No. I wish they had though."

"What?"

Helga shook her head back and forth, "I just need to go for a while."

Arnold held onto Helga's arms, preventing her from leaving. "Please, just talk to me."

Stella and Miles both ran to the living room, carefully peering out from behind the television set to watch Arnold and Helga talk. They couldn't hear a word, they could only see the kid's profiles and any body movements.

Miles whispered, "It's weird how easy it is, right? The parenting, the constant worrying and need to protect him."

Miles knew Stella had never lost her motherly instincts, she had just been suppressing them in San Lorenzo, almost as if she was saving all her nurturing for Arnold. But he never expected the instincts to kick in as quickly or as harshly as they did. It was a little scary, these feelings reminding Miles of the times in San Lorenzo just after Arnold had been born. It was a constant panic. And now it returned through a new target - Arnold's girlfriend.

Stella nodded, eyes focusing intensely on her son's soft, concerned expression as he stared at his girlfriend. "We've only been back in his life for a few months. . ."

Miles slid closer to his wife, wrapping his arm over her shoulders, "Just because we missed his childhood, we feel obligated to make it up to him and treat him like we would have if he was younger. But he's not, Stella. He's almost nineteen and going to college soon."

Stella forced another nod. Her _baby _didn't need her anymore.

"But that doesn't mean he still won't need us. Sure, after this whole, uh, _situation, _he's going to have more problems. Mostly with us, though."

"I know. You're right, hon. I just can't help it, it still feels like he's a baby. He's a two-year-old in my mind."

"We need to move on from that mental set. He's an adult with a good education, a steady girlfriend, friends who care about him and the biggest heart. He knows when to ask for help and when to give it."

Arnold and Helga shared a quick hug and a goodbye kiss. Miles clearly saw his son whisper "I love you" into his girlfriend's ear.

Stella sighed contently, "Your parents did an amazing job with him."

Miles nodded, lips breaking into an uncontrollable grin. "Come on, we need to get back to the kitchen before he sees us!" The two sprinted back into the kitchen just in time.

Arnold sat down at the kitchen table, oblivious to his parent's slight panting. "She sounded heartbroken! What did you guys say?"

Miles was not taking the blame for this one. "Talk to your mother. I personally think it's great that you kids have an active sex life." Arnold shut his eyes and nodded slowly. It still freaked him out how casual his dad was with sex. "I mean, kids in San Lorenzo-"

Stella rolled her eyes, "Stop it, Miles."

"All right, I can see I'm not wanted." He held his hands up in defeat before fleeing the kitchen.

Arnold switched positions and reclined in the chair, resting all of his weight on the back legs. Stella sat down across from him, clutching onto an old coffee cup as she pursed her lips.

A moment of tense silence passed between them.

"I think you're too serious with her," she admitted quietly.

Arnold's feet returned to the floor, the bottom of the legs scraping against the kitchen tile. "What does that mean?"

Stella sighed, "You're both just so young, and-"

"Mom, the funny thing is. . .Helga's been in love with me since we were three. If she wasn't _truly _in love with me, she would've moved on years ago, don't you think?"

Stella pursed her lips, stunned to a momentary silence. "Wow."

Arnold smirked, "You're telling me."

_H-A!-H-A!_

Helga started walking home, still feeling conflicted about what their conversation had meant. Arnold had tried to be supportive, but Stella was his _mother, _and agreeing with her also made sense. And Helga had been getting Arnold into a lot of trouble lately.

Helga flipped out her cell phone and speed dialed Phoebe. "Hey, I hope you're not busy because I'm coming over."

"No, I was just starting our senior paper, but I can do it later."

Helga couldn't help but smile. Only Phoebe would start so early. "We have a few months left, Pheebs. It's only January."

"I know, I'd just like to get it done. Anyway, I'm glad you called, I need to talk-"

"Hold that thought," Helga smirked as she knocked on Phoebe's front door. Phoebe promptly hung up the phone and greeted her friend with a large hug at the door. Before Phoebe could even shut the door, Helga blurted, "Stella caught Arnold and I."

That caused Phoebe to freeze for a moment. Once she came to her senses, she shut the door completely and turned to Helga. "Doing _what _exactly?"

"You know _what_, Phoebe! Making out, hooking up, _getting busy_." Helga's voice rose after every word.

Phoebe's cheeks turned red, feeling her friend's embarrassement.

Helga began pacing in front of Phoebe's living room couch. Phoebe immediately took a seat and watched her friend walk back and forth. "It gets worse. I was only in my underwear and then when I tried to escape out the back door, both Miles and Stella were there. Miles almost started laughing and Stella looked angry beyond all reason. That was it. She hates me now."

"I doubt that Stella feels anything besides love for you Helga. You found her husband in the jungle and returned her son to them. I doubt that she hates you just because-" Phoebe sighed in defeat when she realized Helga was still talking. "And you're not even listening to me, are you?"

Helga added hand motions as she tried to talk her frustration out. "I bet she thinks I'm like _corrupting _Arnold! She probably hates that I've been around for years-"

"Before you get all Freud on this, Helga, you have to understand where Stella is coming from." Phoebe's serious tone made Helga stop moving. "Like any mother she wants to protect her child. Having sex at a young age can be bad for both the participants."

"Was Gerald's mom like this with you?"

A momentary pain sunk in Phoebe's chest before she shook her head. "No. Actually, Mr. Johannsen has a set of strict rules that we, uh, used to follow. We couldn't even close Gerald's bedroom door."

Helga never knew that._ Huh. _

She never really asked Phoebe about her and Gerald's sexual relationship. Helga figured they had sex before since Gerald and Phoebe had been together since fifth grade. That was longer than some marriages. Helga just never really asked because Phoebe did keep a lot of things to herself, and because it was _Gerald. _For the longest time Helga and Gerald never got along, and up until last year fought about everything. She did not want to know any intimate details about Tall Hair Boy.

Helga watched Phoebe shift uncomfortably against the couch.

_Oh. My. God._

"You and Gerald did have sex, though, right?" Phoebe didn't respond. Instead she focused on her hands, her face burning hotter with each passing second. "Oh, my God! Phoebe! You and Gerald _never _had sex?" Helga covered her gaping mouth with her hand.

"No."

Helga's eyes went wide. "Is that why he broke up with you?"

Phoebe hesitated, clearly unsure. She finally answered, "No."

"Are you _sure_? Because guys are real assholes like that." Now Helga was back to moving, pacing back and forth with her fists clenched, "I swear to God-"

Phoebe jumped to her friend's side, "Helga, calm down. There's no need to get riled up."

Helga sighed in frustration and sat down on the couch. She wanted to _kill_ Gerald, but it was 10:45 on a Sunday night and Helga had to deal with school work and what to do with her pink hair.

Suddenly, Helga got an idea.

"He still hasn't talked to you at all, right?" Phoebe shook her head. "Good, then I know just what we can do to really fuck with him."

"I'd really rather not, Helga. You have your evil plan face on right now and I don't like that one bit."

It was too late. Helga was already calling in reinforcements. "Rhonda, darling, I have a little favor I need you to do for me now. We need your expertise down at Phoebe's house in ten minutes."

If Gerald was going to be shallow, then Phoebe was just going to have to up the ante and show him what he was really missing.

**H-A!-H-A!**

"Helga, I'm not really comfortable with this." Phoebe took one last turn in front of her mirror.

It was seven on Monday morning. Both Rhonda and Helga had spent the night so they could make sure Phoebe followed through with their slightly crazy, but totally justified, plan.

Rhonda turned a curling iron in Helga's hair once again, glancing at Phoebe out of the corner of her eye. "You look amazing, Phoebe."

Phoebe ran her manicured fingers up and down her bare shoulders. "I don't know."

Helga smirked. She had never actually seen Phoebe's shoulders or thighs before. Even when they wore bathing suits, Phoebe always wore a cover up. Except now Phoebe was baring it all.

Rhonda removed the curling iron from Helga's bright pink locks. "I am amazed that you have a figure, Phoebe. We've been missing out on a show."

A blush spread across Phoebe's cheeks, "Uh. . .thank you, Rhonda?"

Rhonda turned her diamond studded watch over on her wrist, "We should get going. Helga, are you ready?"

Helga grinned, fluffing up her hair one last time. In order to down play the brightness of her hair, she wore a simple gray dress. "Let's do this."

The three girls piled into Rhonda's car and drove to school.

**Sent 7:13 a.m. Helga:** I need to talk to Gerald. Can you 2 meet me at the front of the school?

**Sent 7:14 a.m. Arnold:** Only if you promise not to kill him

**Sent 7:14 a.m. Helga:** I promise.

Rhonda parked the car just as Helga closed her cell phone. "And the bait is set. Phoebe, are you ready?"

"No!"

Rhonda and Helga shared a smile. "Alright, here we go." The two girls pulled Phoebe out of the car and marched towards the front of the school.

"This isn't going to work, girls," Phoebe muttered.

She was anxious and feeling awkward. She had never worn a black skirt this short before. She knew it broke the dress code, it had to be _way _shorter than 5 inches above the knee. And her shirt! It was sleeveless, for one, and tight. Rhonda said it was "tight in all the right places," whatever _that_ meant. It also dipped a little lower than everything else she owned. Rhonda has also styled her dark hair so it feel loose and free around her face with a few curls. Phoebe was certain she would trip and fall in her heels. She'd never worn a pair more than three inches high!

Today, Phoebe felt like a different person.

"Good morning," Helga smiled and kissed Arnold quickly. Phoebe stood a few steps back. Rhonda smiled and hugged Phoebe goodbye before scurrying off to her locker.

Gerald glared at Helga, "Why did you need me here?"

Helga shrugged, "Just wanted to say hello, Tall Hair Boy." She turned around, "Come on, Phoebe! We don't wanna be late for AP English." Phoebe nodded and adjusted her backpack before following Helga up the steps. She told herself to walk with confidence and not make eye contact with her _ex-_boyfriend.

Both Arnold and Gerald stared at the petite Asian girl as she walked past.

Gerald had turned around and followed Phoebe with his eyes until she was lost in the crowd of students.

Arnold pointed at his friend, "Was that. . . ?"

Gerald massaged his temples, eyes squeezed shut. After a minute of tense silence he looked at Arnold, "Sometimes your girlfriend is a real _bitch_."

"Woah!" Arnold tried his hardest to keep a straight face because it was true. "Uncool, dude. . . .But I hope this doesn't change things for your surprise. I got everything set up last night."

"Shit, you're right! No, I, uh, I don't think this will change anything. I've got to go. See you in Spanish," And in the blink of an eye Gerald took off down the hallway.

Gerald's plan didn't actually come into effect until Friday afternoon, the first Friday in February and the Beginning of the End of Baseball. The school year was ending in May, just a mere three months, although it was even less with senior's AP exams and classes ending early.

The Beginning of the End, as Alex had put it, were the final months when the baseball playing seniors were put to the test. Colleges became even more focused on select students, scholarship offers were finalized, and everyone began to feel sentimental. Practices became more emotionally intense than ever for the seniors.

Diedrek would spend half of the practices yelling, the other half just sitting and admiring his team. He was impressed at how well the men turned out to be. Of course, he missed Helga. Her quick wit, no-nonsense attitude and curve ball always made practices interesting. He thought about Wolfgang and his first group of seniors who graduated. _I'll have to e-mail those boys soon_, Diedrek thought, _maybe have a little reunion game before the summer's end._

That Friday, Helga had been told to go to Phoebe's immediately after school. She was curious as to why, but figured Gerald was going to apologize for being a selfish asshole.

All week he had been practically drooling over Phoebe, unable to even fully complete a sentence without messing up and embarrassing himself. A lot of other guys had taken notice too and Helga had been kept busy batting them off with the back of her hand. Phoebe's style change had kept Gerald's attention, which was part of the plan. But Phoebe felt badly about making Gerald "suffer" and decided to return to her normal, true self on Friday.

Gerald asked Phoebe to meet him at the boarding house because Arnold was "carpooling with him" from baseball. It had taken quite a bit of convincing on his part. Phoebe had laughed at him, "I've been on thousands of dates with you, Gerald."

"I just want this one," he had begged, "And then you can tell me how much you hate me." She laughed again - a soft, familiar sound that made his heart smile. He had missed that over the week.

But now, now he was standing on the stoop of the boarding house wearing his brother's suit. He felt ridiculous. But this was a ridiculous idea.

His heart stopped when she arrived. She was wearing the same thing she'd worn at school all day, her old blue skirt and the old cashmere sweater and her thick black glasses. He loved seeing her happy again, happy to be in her own skin.

"What am I doing here?" Phoebe asked quietly as Gerald hesitantly took her hand. The two made their way onto the roof of the Sunset Arms, only to become surrounded by candlelight and soft music.

"Wh. . . what is all of this?" Phoebe asked as a smile appeared on her face. A small table was set up to face the sunset over the river, a picnic basket resting in a chair.

Gerald smiled, "Phoebe Hyerdahl, would you do me the honor of going on a date with me?"

She shook her head, "I told you already-"

"You showed up here, didn't you?" Gerald's voice dropped to reflect his sadness, "But you don't have to stay if you don't want to."

Phoebe looked in each direction, considering her options. She could walk away from the love of her life, or she could try to listen to him and understand why things ended up this way.

Phoebe nodded, swallowing the lump in the back of her throat. She couldn't believe how nervous she was. She shouldn't be nervous, she spent more time with Gerald than was probably healthy. But. . .the pain. The love was still there, and yet the hurt still didn't fade.

"You really hurt me, Gerald," tears pooled in her eyes as she spoke.

Gerald felt his lungs collapse. He never wanted to hear that. He watched a tear gather in her eye. "I _never _meant to, Phoebe, you have to understand. You mean so much to me. I just wasn't thinking, I was angry and con-"

"Why did you say it if you didn't meant it?"

Gerald sighed. He had spent every night for the past week lying awake hating himself. He tried to think of what possible sane reason he had for ending things. And he couldn't come up with a single one. "I. . .I had been feeling so constricted by everyone and everything and I thought that by removing something I'd feel better. I can't exactly quit school or stop baseball or living with my parents. At the time, it seemed easy and smart to end things." Gerald laughed at his own stupidity. "But it wasn't. It fucked everything up even worse. I can't stand to think about how selfish I was being. I am beyond _sorry _for everything."

Phoebe nodded, taking in everything slowly, processing all of the new information he'd given her.

Her heart wanted to forgive him more than anything, but her mind was just reminded of the pain.

"I am literally down on my knees," Gerald did as he announced, "begging you to forgive me."

Phoebe smiled, eyes locking onto his. He was finally closer to her height and she found it easier to study his face. He still had a bit of orange clay smeared on his forehead and it looked like he hadn't had a full nights sleep in days. A small bead of sweat traveled from his hairline down to his chin before evaporating. A hopeful smile rested on his dark lips as his hands wrapped around her waist.

His forehead pressed against hers and she shut her eyes. "Please say you forgive me. I'm willing to start over, try everything again. I'm willing to do whatever it takes to have you back."

Phoebe listened to the honesty in his voice. He truly meant it.

"No," she squeaked out.

"No?" He repeated, hands slipping from her sides. He felt as if the world was collapsing in on him. . .was he even sitting anymore or had he fallen back into the abyss of nothing?

"I don't want to start over. Starting over means forgetting all the little things no one else knows about you and why I love you. I know how you hate it when I tickle you-" her fingers slowly grazed up his neck and to a small pressure point behind his left ear. Gerald flinched, but smirked, _"_or how much you miss telling urban legends. Starting over means forgetting our first kiss-"

Gerald's confused expression broke into a smile as Phoebe spoke. He leaned forwards, arms returning to their waist-grip before excitedly rising to his feet, pulling Phoebe up off the ground with him.

Phoebe pulled back from the mid-air kiss, gasping from excitement and fear. She giggled, only to feel her laughs fall quiet when she realized a tear had rolled down Gerald's right cheek.

"I really missed you," he whispered before kissing her again.

_H-A!-H-A!_

Helga hadn't spent more than ten minutes in the boarding house since the incident.

Arnold was getting frustrated because he hardly ever got to see her or talk to her. So when Gerald had asked to use the boarding house roof, Arnold took that as the prime opportunity to get the hell out of the house and over to Helga's.

He rang the doorbell once and rocked on his heels waiting for her. He could hear her footsteps on the stairs.

He let out a low whistle when the door opened, "Do you always answer the door like that?"

Helga was standing in a white towel, holding it up with one hand, while her wet hair was tied up into a bun on top of her head. She smirked, "I knew you'd be coming over."

Arnold grinned mischeviously, "And you wanted to be ready for me to-"

Helga screamed and ran into her house, laughing as Arnold chased her up the stairs. She had to be faster than him, even though she knew baseball kept him in much better shape.

She had made it into her bedroom and quickly shut the door, hoping to stall him for a minute as she locked herself in her closet. She made herself half-presentable by quickly throwing on underwear and a bra. She held her breath as she heard her bedroom door open.

"Helga?"

Arnold checked around the room, only to lock his eyes on the closet. Helga had no idea where he was in the room, but continued to sit silently. He tip-toed over to the door, lightly twisting the handle.

It was locked.

"Helga, come on, I know you're in there. I promise I won't try to tickle you." Helga rolled her eyes and covered her mouth to hide her laugh. "I can't promise about anything else, but I swear, no tickling."

Cautiously, Helga unlocked the door and peered out into her bedroom. Arnold was sitting on her bed, holding her jeans and t-shirt in his hands.

"I'm thinking tonight we surprise your mom at the office. How does Mexican sound?"

Helga smiled, unable to help but feel touched that Arnold thought about taking care of her mother. But what else could she expect? Arnold was the world's most caring person.

"Sounds great, Football Head."

**H-A!-H-A!**

"Miram! Miriam, are you home yet?" Helga shouted upon entering her house. When she was greeted with silence, she pulled out her cell phone, struggling to juggle her backpack, phone and a white envelope. "Pick up, _pick up_- Hello?"

"Hey, honey. I was just about to call. Do you want me to cook or pic-"

"THE LETTER CAME!" Helga screamed excitedly.

Miriam flinched at the level of her daughter's voice, but smiled into the receiver. "Well, open it! I've been in suspense for months now!"

"Hold on," Helga replied as she tossed her backpack onto the stairs before falling beside it. She held the cell phone in between her ear and shoulder. "I've been waiting much longer!"

Anxiously, Helga's fingers slipped under the thin glued stripe. The envelope seemed to come apart in her shaking hands. Helga shut her eyes and took a deep breath before removing it from the envelope. She had heard that dozens of colleges switched to smaller envelopes, opposed to the large ones decorated with 'Congratulations', because it was better for the environment. Helga thought it was just to give everyone an equal opportunity to feel an unnecessary sense of hope.

The paper unfolded itself, but Helga kept her eyes shut. She counted her unsteady breaths up to five before opening her eyes. Her vision followed the flow of the black text on the page.

"I don't believe it," Helga felt the burn of tears begin behind her eyes as she told her mother the news.


	22. Promblems

**A/N:** Sorry it's taken me so long to update. Enjoy! I guess I should warn you about some (non M-rated) sexytimes. AND LOTS OF FLUFF. "IT'S SO FLUFFY I'M GONNA DIE."

* * *

**Love is Like A Baseball Bat**

_Chapter Twenty-Two: Prom-blems_

* * *

_February 12, 2011_

Dear Miss Pataki,

"It is with very real regret that I must tell you that we will not be able to offer you a place in the Class of 2015 this fall. I realize this is disappointing news; I want to assure you that we considered your candidacy carefully and that our decision was not an easy one", but it had to be made. This year we had an incredible number of applications, the highest we've ever received. Since you applied Early Decision II, we sadly cannot allow you to apply for regular admission.

"You may be asking what was lacking in your application; for most of our applicants the honest answer is nothing. If you're like most of the students who applied, you've put much effort into doing well in school, you made significant contributions in your extracurricular activities, and you worked hard to balance the many demands on your time."

Please know that I believe you are very talented. "I know that you will find an institution at which you will be happy; I know, too, the school you choose will benefit from your presence. I wish you all the success I know you are capable of as you pursue your education further."

_- Boston College_

* * *

Arnold answered his phone on the second ring, "Hello?"

"Hi, Arnold. It's Miriam."

"What's up?"

"I'm stuck at work and I really need you to go be with Helga." Arnold could hear the fear in her voice. He didn't need any more information than that.

He stood up immediately, "I'm already on my way." He removed his cell phone from his ear, shouting upstairs, "Dad, Helga needs me. I'm taking the Packard!"

He heard a muffled okay and shut the front door, running to the backyard to pull the car out.

"Thank you, Arnold." Miriam hung up the phone and rested her head in her hands.

Less than ten minutes later, Arnold was knocking on Helga's front door.

"Go away!" He heard her shout from just behind the door.

"Helga," Arnold reached up to the top of the doorframe and pulled down the spare key, "I'm coming in anyway." He pushed the door open easily. Helga was already collapsed on the couch, head buried deep into a pillow.

"What happened?" Arnold glanced at the staircase and saw a pile of paper shreds. "Oh."

Helga's head sprang up and she quickly sprinted up the stairs. A few seconds later, maroon red and yellow shirts were tossed down the stairs angrily. She balled them up and threw them like the pitcher she was, almost hitting Arnold in the head.

Every shirt had something related to Boston College on it. Their mascot, collegiate lettering (BC), the words BOSTON COLLEGE. She owned at least ten shirts. She'd been collecting since she went to Boston last November.

After the last one was thrown, Arnold ran up the stairs. He could hear her stifle a sob and his heart broke a little bit.

Helga didn't handle rejection well.

"Leave me alone, Football Head." Arnold rubbed a circle on the small of her back. He still heard her crying into her pillow.

"Please, Helga, look at me." She made no movements, so Arnold picked her up with every bit of force he had and sat her up straight against him. "Please, look at me."

She eventually caved at stared into his eyes. Arnold's face fell, his hands trembling slightly as he wiped the running tears off her face. He was so worried he was shaking. He brushed her fallen strands of hair off her face before cupping each cheek. She locked her hands around his right wrist, eyes shutting. Her brow narrowed in pain.

Arnold leaned forward slowly and kissed her gently on the lips. He kept his forehead pressed to hers, "You are wonderful and brilliant and Boston College is fucking stupid for rejecting you." He could feel her lower lip trembling as she let go of his hands. He continued to pull her close, letting her head fall on his shoulder.

He started to rock her gently. Normally, Helga would've laughed and told him to stop, but at that moment, it was the most comforting gesture he could've done.

Arnold continued to run his fingers through her hair. He was going to let her cry herself out. He knew nothing he said would help her at the moment.

After an hour, she had stopped crying and settled for pouting.

"Do you want me to make you anything?" Arnold asked, readjusting her position so her back was pressed against his chest. He kissed her shoulder. "Tea? Soup?"

"Soup would be nice."

There was still a bit of leftover winter chill in the air, despite the fact that it was the mildest winter Hillwood had ever seen. It only snowed for two days, a mere four inches total!

Arnold smiled and picked Helga up, carrying her down the stairs and setting her up at a stool in the kitchen. She felt herself half-smile as Arnold moved around the kitchen effortlessly, picking up pots and the can of soup without even having to ask where it was. He pulled out two bowls, spoons, napkins, and cups too.

"You spend too much time here," Helga sighed.

"Not enough," Arnold replied as he leaned over the counter and tried to kiss her. Helga turned her head down and gave him her forehead. That never happened before.

Helga averted her eyes to the hallway, expression still solem.

This was killing him.

He had no idea how set Helga had been on BC. He knew she wanted to go, but she'd gotten amazing offers from other colleges. She seemed to be considering all her options, but it looked like she'd had her heart set on Boston.

"Are you going to be okay?" Arnold asked as he poured the soup into the bowl. He slid hers across the counter and grabbed a pack of crackers out of the cabinet. Helga half-heartedly blew the steam out of her face. She was still moping. "Please, Helga. I hate seeing you upset."

Helga's eyes brimmed with tears again, "I'll be fine, Arnold. It's. . .it's just gonna take awhile." She exhaled deeply, "That letter felt like a serious slap to the face."

"Were they rude?"

"No, really polite. Which makes it worse." She twirled her spoon in her soup. "Boston's a really nice city. And although I don't have the finest memories of going there, I did enjoy it for a brief second. I got to throw a pitch at Fenway Park and sneak into bars with Alex's brother. And you guys. . .you guys acted like assholes to rescue me from my dad."

Arnold smirked, "Hey, our plan was really cool."

"And I know it's really stupid. . .but because I was going to Boston," Helga sighed again, finally turning to look Arnold in the eyes. "Because I was going to Boston, for what seemed like forever, you told me you loved me." Arnold nodded. He remembered. Oh, God, did he remember. He cried for a long time. "I guess, I just, I thought that going back-"

"Oh, Helga, you precious dork." Arnold laughed and pulled her stool closer to his. Helga rolled her eyes. Arnold lowered his voice, lips pressing against her burning ear, "I wish I knew what it'd take to make you understand just how much I love you."

Arnold knew Helga loved him. And they had made many mistakes in the past. But he hadn't stopped loving her. He was pretty sure he'd never stop.

Helga smiled, arm resting around his neck. "How did I get so lucky?" Her body trembled as she held back tears. Tears of joy this time. "I don't deserve you. You're too good-"

"I don't deserve you," Arnold pulled Helga up onto the counter, standing to meet her lips. "I'm willing to tell you everyday. I love you, Helga Geraldine Pataki." He laughed a little into her hair, "Hate to break it to you, sweetheart, but I plan on being here for the long run." He gently kissed her neck and her eyes rolled back.

"So, are you guys getting married or what?"

Arnold jumped back and fell against the counter, hand pressed against his rapidly rising and falling chest. "_Christ_, you guys!"

Gerald sarcastically applauded. "I'm being serious. That was a beautiful proposal." Phoebe giggled. Helga had made her fair share of marriage jokes over the years about Phoebe and Gerald. He figured it was time for some payback.

Helga rolled her eyes. "My mom called you, didn't she?"

Phoebe nodded, "Yes. And you left your key in the lock."

"How are you holding up, sport?"

Helga jumped down from the counter, "Fuck off, Tall Hair Boy."

Arnold walked over to the stove, "Do you guys want soup?"

**H-A!-H-A!**

The following week at school was torture for Helga. It seemed like every senior and teacher apologized to her for not getting in.

It was a constant reminder of her failure.

Luckily, Friday was Valentine's Day. And Alex had been merciful and cancelled the afternoon baseball practice.

On Valentine's Day, Arnold surprised her with red roses in all of her classes, her locker, her backpack, and even at lunch. Seniors were allowed to leave campus and bring back food, and he managed to beat her to Joe's Diner and leave a rose at the counter. (She knew Phoebe told him.)

But it drove her crazy that she didn't see him once all day. All she had were roses and a note, saying "I love you." Not even in Statistics, the one class they had together. Their teacher was obviously in on it and she was getting more frustrated by the second.

At the end of the day, and finding one more rose in her locker, this time a pink one, she was going mad!

"Why is he hiding? What the hell is he planning?"

Phoebe closed her locker, "Arnold's very good at surprises, Helga."

"Remember last year? All those damn flowers. There was like 5,000 of them in the cafeteria." Gerald kissed Phoebe before taking her hand. "Surprises are his thing."

"I know he's at school. Arnold wouldn't skip school to surprise me."

Gerald started laughing, "Arnold would jump off the Golden Gate bridge for you. I mean, he's told you how much he loves you like a million times. It's kind of gross."

Helga playfully punched Gerald, "Like you two are any better."

"Hey," Gerald protested.

"We're woking on it," Phoebe added with a smile. Gerald chuckled before giving her another kiss.

"Didn't he swim into jellyfish infested waters for you?" Phoebe asked.

Helga nodded, her head echoing with his sentiment, _"I would've jumped in even if there was a fifty foot shark. Of course, I wouldn't know what to do, but that wouldn't have stopped me._"

"I really love him. Do you think he knows that?"

"You could tell him yourself." Gerald nodded towards the open door of the school. Arnold was standing outside, wearing the biggest smile she'd ever seen.

Helga took off running towards him. Not seeing him for a school day drove her crazy.

How was she going to survive college?

Arnold was wearing a white button down, black slacks and a pink tie. "I missed you today," Helga whispered before giving him a quick kiss.

"I missed you too. Come on, I have a surprise."

Helga laughed, "Of course you do."

Arnold pulled up to the boarding house, grinning.

"I take it your parents aren't home?"

"Nope. I sent them to Chez Paris for their first Valentine's Day in the States. And Mai took her dad out to meet her boyfriend. So it's just us."

Arnold opened the door to the Sunset Arms. He guided Helga to the dining room table, where candles and a fancy table setting waited, along with a few more roses. "Wow."

"Oh, trust me, I'm not done yet." Arnold disappeared into the kitchen and returned with a large platter of steaks.

And they were not just any steaks. These were Smith Jackson prime rib steaks, sold only in Seattle and San Diego.

"Holy shit. You drove all the way to Seattle?"

"Yep. Left at six this morning, got back just before you got out for school. Mai grilled them while I got ready and left them in the microwave while I picked you up."

"How did you get the flowers to me, then?"

Arnold zipped his lips, "I have my ways." He handed Helga a piece of meat before grabbing the other things Stella had cooked during the day while Arnold was gone: mashed potatoes, corn, broccoli.

"This is incredible," Helga knew she was drooling at the sight of it all.

"Dig in."

The thing about Smith Jackson steaks was that you ate them slowly. Incredibly slowly because these were the finest chunks of cow grown in the United States. And they were totally organic. None of the chemically processed bullshit to have larger cows. They were all natural and completely amazing.

An hour later, Helga was ready to pass out from a food coma. It was still early, only about seven o'clock. Helga offered to clean up, but Arnold told her to go into the living room.

Helga had tried to stay sitting up, to stay awake, but she felt exhausted.

Her eyes reopened at 8:45 p.m.

She bolted up off the couch, panting slightly from her adrenaline fueled wake up. "Morning," Arnold teased before kissing the top of her head. Arnold held out a small white box, wrapped in a pink bow.

"Wha-?" Arnold pushed it forward. Helga hesitantly took it. She really had no idea what to expect. She carefully untied the bow and opened up the paper box, only to reveal a white silk pouch.

She undid the clasp and pulled out a gold circle.

It took her a second to realize that it was a _ring._

She turned it over to reveal three circular emerald gems embedded into the gold. The emerald in the middle was slightly larger than the other two.

"Oh, my God," was all she could think to say.

Arnold sat down on the coffee table in front of her, their knees now pressed together.

Helga stared at the ring for a few more seconds before sliding it onto her ring finger. "This is beautiful." She leaned forward and hugged Arnold, kissing him lightly. "Thank you."

Arnold held her hands, pressing her fingers tightly into his palm. "It was my grandmother's."

Tears immediately welled in Helga's eyes. This was Gertie's! What was he. . ._was he crazy? _"I-I can't accept this, Arnold. This belongs in your family, Gertie-"

"Absolutely adored you." Arnold kissed her right hand, "She would've wanted you to have this, regardless."

A tear escaped her eye, but Arnold was quick to catch it. "I really-"

"Shh," he smiled as he kissed her. "Accept it, Eleanor." Helga laughed, forcing herself to stop crying.

Arnold and Helga ended up cuddling on the couch watching a movie, but about halfway through, Helga got restless. She grinned, pulling Arnold upstairs to his bedroom. "I have a present for you too." Once they were inside, she shoved Arnold onto the bed. "Close your eyes." She had been planning this one for a little while as well.

Arnold smirked and hummed a little tune to himself as he kept his eyes shut. He couldn't hear anything moving, and the door hadn't closed, but he was getting an idea-"Open your eyes."

Arnold immediately let out a low whistle, eyes traveling up and down Helga's lingerie clad body. _God bless you, St. Valentine._

Helga was wearing black stockings and garters, which were attached to a very small pink skirt with black lace. Her bra was a matching push up, pink with black lace. Her body was incredibly tanned for it to be the end of winter. Helga had also let her hair down, falling past her shoulders. And she had put on black platform heels.

He watched her hold her breath, her rib cage suspended, anxiously waiting for him to say something.

_Wow, she looks. . ._"Beautiful," Arnold finally choked out. He was overwhelmed.

Helga smiled. She crossed the room, her heels clicking against the hardwood flooring.

She stopped a foot away from the bed, hands pressed against her exposed hip bones. _God, she's in great shape_. She leaned over without bending her knees. Arnold got a lovely view of Helga's chest. She smirked, licking her lips, "Something's wrong here..."

Laughing, Arnold started stripping off his tie, kicking off his shoes and tugging off his socks. Helga's hand finally grabbed his wrist, stopping him from unbuttoning his shirt. She grinned and slowly lowered herself into his lap. Arnold's hands cradled her back, but Hegla froze. She leaned forwards and took his lower lip between her teeth before whispering, "No touching."

_So she's playing it that way, huh?_

She picked Arnold's tie up off the ground. Once his shirt was off, she pulled him to the head of the bed and double knotted his hands together. Lucky for him, that old Campfire Lass had actually taught her something.

Helga pressed her hands to Arnold's warming chest before kissing his neck. She left a few gentle bite marks before peppering them with kisses. Strong enough to be felt but light enough not to be seen. Arnold squirmed before moaning. She had found that damn spot on his neck between his collarbone and shoulder that drove him crazy. They knew each other's weaknesses well.

Arnold's hands twisted in the binding. Normally he would've reciprocated the action by bitting Helga's shoulder. He hated the idea of actually bruising her perfect skin, but she insisted. Then after he'd kiss every inch of skin available, greedily, hypnotized by her body. Every twitch she made when he hit a sensitive spot drove him further. He loved making her moan. Long and slow kisses were known to make her weak at the knees. He craved that contact of skin on skin.

This was going to be harder than he thought.

Helga finally kissed him on the lips. It was difficult to not be pulling her closer, running his fingers through her hair, touching her smooth cheek. He _needed_ contact. He whined into the kiss, shifting his legs and flexing his upper body. He wanted out.

"No," Helga whispered firmly. "For once in your life, it's going to be all about you. There's no one else to take care of."

"Not true," Arnold hissed.

"Just trust me," Helga spoke to his lips before intensifying their kissing. Helga could taste a little bit of mint on him, mixing in with the salty taste of his skin on her lips. Poor Arnold was already sweating.

She eventually pulled back to catch her breath. "What do you want?"

"To touch you!" Arnold complained again, kicking his hips upwards, trying to pull his body free by slipping his wrists through the binding. No such luck. But the motion suddenly caused Helga to gasp and tense.

_Oh, ho ho, _Arnold grinned as he laughed in his head. Helga watched Arnold's face light up. She was about to tell him not to, but Arnold did it again. This time a moan escaped her lips. Arnold could feel her heat through his pants and he knew she could feel his.

"No, damn it, _no. _This is about you," Helga sadly shifted lower, her hands undoing Arnold's belt while she rested against his legs. Arnold shifted his knee, imitating his earlier motion. "Arnold!" she shrieked in surprise.

"Helga," Arnold quickly pulled his legs out from underneath her. She bounced on his mattress, confused. Arnold folded his legs under himself and stared at her. Oh, man, he was going crazy. "Believe me, this is the greatest gift anyone has ever given me. But I want to, _need to, _touch you." He tugged his wrists forwards again. "Sex is about two people, and I'd like to be an active participant in ours. _Pleaseee_? The sentiment behind it is very nice, but I just-"

She almost laughed. He looked so desperate. "This must be _so hard_ for you," she teased in a low voice.

Arnold narrowed his eyes at her.

Helga crawled forwards, one hand sneaking behind his head to untie the pink silk tie. Arnold smiled triumphantly and leaned forwards, pulling Helga into his chest and kissing her deeply. His hands roamed her body, caressing her soft skin, running through her hair. His lips moved from hers, down to her neck and breasts. One hand was already down below, the other snapping off her bra.

Arnold was clearly trying to make up for lost time.

Arnold's lips returned to Helga's as he bit the bottom between his teeth. She moaned, and Arnold grinned as it grew louder due to his ministrations.

Her shoes, skirt and garters were suddenly off. Arnold pressed her back up against the headboard, lips traveling down her entire body, kissing and sucking and biting every place but where she needed him most. Helga gasped again as he kissed her tanned inner thighs, tracing the curve of her old jellyfish sting scar, followed by a kiss against her heated core. Arnold kissed her outer lips before she rocked her hips against his tongue as it plunged in deeper. She was close. Helga suddenly came undone, eyes rolling into the back of her head, hands raking through Arnold's hair and holding him in place as her body tensed from a build up of pleasure.

When she finally relaxed, cheeks flushed and smiling, he lost his pants as boxers as fast as he could. Helga pulled Arnold closer, suddenly filled with a new adrenaline rush.

Arnold moved his hips like he had before, but it wasn't long before he was struggling to hold back. Helga had had him wound up since she first stripped. She quickly flipped them over so he was pressed under her weight. Helga rocked her hips against Arnold's every thrust.

"Helga," Arnold managed to choke out between his panting. He kissed her quickly before finally tumbling over the edge. Helga moaned loudly into their kiss and Arnold felt her tense again.

The two collapsed, sweaty and exhausted, against Arnold's bed.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Arnold." Helga kissed his shoulder, "I love you. I really and truly do."

Arnold intertwined their fingers, lifting Helga's hand up so he could see the ring on her finger. He kissed the band quickly, and couldn't help but smile. Helga found herself watching Arnold's expression. His smile had faded to a look of content. Helga's heart was racing because she was nervous,_ What the hell is he thinking? _She could usually read his mind and guess what his day dreams were about.

But this look was different. She didn't know if that was good or not.

Arnold smiled again before picking Helga up, returning her to the headboard. "I love you too," he replied before kissing her stomach and sinking lower. . .

Helga woke up with her eyes facing Arnold's skylight. She lifted her neck a little to check Arnold's potato clock - 4:38 a.m. She sighed and tried to go back to sleep, but by 5:15 she gave up.

She hadn't had a full nights sleep in months.

She wasn't sure when it really started either. Lately, anxiety about colleges had kept her awake. Before that it was Eugene and Lucas, Big Bob, and pain in her right arm from lack of serious pitching. The thoughts cycled in her mind for hours on end. Sometime's she'd burst into tears after a nightmare, other times she'd be curled around her pillow wishing it was Arnold.

And she imagined. Her future made her nervous, especially in her own mind.

She had suffered her fair share of bad scenarios - not getting into Boston College was definitely one of them. And then there was the one when she was going to Hillwood U, Arnold was off at South Carolina and met some other girl. She imagined herself stuck at home forever, unable to get a serious job. She imagined being sent off to live with Olga in Alaska. She feared that Arnold would get sick of always having to comfort her and cheer her up. Helga worried that Phoebe would find someone else to call her best friend at school.

But sometimes they were happy scenarios. She'd publish a book of her poetry. She and Arnold were married, traveled around the world, had kids. Lived the ideal dream life. Those nights she'd sleep peacefully, only waking up an hour or so before her alarm.

Arnold suddenly stirred beside Helga. She shut her eyes quickly, hesitantly opening one to see that he had rolled over and pulled her close. His arms wrapped around her bare waist, hands curling around her ribs. She wanted to laugh because she was a little bit ticklish, but held it down.

She sighed happily and watched Arnold sleep. She hadn't spent a night here in a long time, not since the incident with Stella. Geez, how long ago was that? A month, maybe two?

Helga shut her eyes and slowly counted backwards from 100, hoping to become so bored she'd pass out.

At 43, Arnold's alarm went off.

Helga shifted against Arnold, hoping the movement would wake him. He opened his eyes and reached behind him, struggling to shut off the alarm without getting up. Eventually, he managed to just knock it off the shelf, toppling a few books, his little blue hat and Helga's old ribbon onto the mattress.

The firefighters who cleaned up the remnants of the old Sunset Arms had discovered that Arnold's bookshelf had collapsed from the top down, causing all of the wood to cover everything that was on the shelves. Her bow had been a little charred, but with a few cleanings, it looked better.

Arnold had forgotten he had it.

Helga sat up just in time to see Arnold pick up the familiar pink silk. "Is that-?" Arnold nodded. "Where did you get this?"

"It just fell off your head one day, back in sixth grade."

Helga lifted her bow out of her boyfriend's hands, tying it around the end of her hair. "And you've had it this whole time?" Another nod. "Wow. . . I never thought I'd see this again."

"I've always felt badly about not giving it back to you. I used to be afraid you'd hit me."

Helga laughed, "Back then I would have."

Arnold's back up alarm on his cell phone rang loudly. "These stupid two-a-days," he said as he walked across his room to shut it off. Helga's hands were still around her ponytail, practically mesmerized that she had her bow back.

"I like your bow," Arnold kissed around Helga's shoulder, "cause it's pink like your pants."

A chill of pleasure made her shiver. "You know that's the moment I fell in love with you, right?"

"Yeah. It finally dawned on me in a dream I had during junior year. And since then I haven't stopped dreaming about you."

Helga smiled into their kiss. "Can I go to practice with you?"

"Sure."

February came and went in a flash filled with college acceptances, rejections, and baseball practices. March was suddenly half-way over and Prom talk was starting.

Prom was the first weekend in April, and this time the boys did not have a baseball game. The seniors and juniors were preparing to ask their respective dates. It seemed like a competition formed between the boys to see who asked their girl in the most lavish way. Arnold was currently the winner, with his 5,000 flowers last year.

But Arnold kept it simple this year.

Helga wasn't expecting that. He showed up at her house after dinner, still dressed in his baseball uniform. He was holding two tickets and a simple pink carnation. "Will you go to prom with me, Helga?"

She cocked her hip and smirked, "Well doi." She laughed and pulled Arnold into a hug, standing on her tip toes to wrap her arms around his neck. He laughed and pulled her close.

**H-A!-H-A!**

_Ding dong._

Stella answered the door, smiling brightly at the boy in a tux. Before he could say anything, Stella called up the stairs, "Arnold, someone's at the door for you!" She heard his footsteps, followed by his voice, "Can you help me tie this?"

Stella met Arnold at the bottom step and tugged on the ends of his pink silk bow tie, grinning as she looped it around to tie the knot. "You look so handsome."

"Thanks," he hugged his mom quickly before turning the corner at the edge of the staircase. "So who was at the-?"

Arnold fell against the wall in shock, his body trying it's hardest to move as far away from the door as possible. He looked absolutely ridiculous crawling backwards, but his brain was reacting to his fight-or-flight response.

And this was definitely _flight._

"J-John," Arnold managed to get his voice out instead of a scream, his body slowly regaining its footing. "What are you doing here?"

John Jenson's lip twisted upwards into a wicked smile, "I've come home."

* * *

**A/N 2:** I **DID NOT** write most of Helga's college rejection letter. It was one written by Duke University, only it's edited. What is said online is in "quotes", I added in my own stuff too. It was found at the wall street journal at- online. wsj article/ SB12409647 1555766239. html (remove spaces)


	23. Scars

**Love is Like A Baseball Bat**

_Chapter Twenty-Three: Scars_

* * *

John had hitchhiked from his hospital in California to Hillwood. His undying need for revenge had kept him awake for three days straight, cracking his already low sanity. His escape plan was simple. Stealing keys and scrubs allowed him for an easy escape right through the front door. His parents had planned to visit him, but he knew they were going to be in a huge surprise when the Psychiatric Ward realized he wasn't there. Hitchhiking was easy. A few van rides with some stoners and walking along the highway and he made it back to Hillwood in a shorter amount of time than he planned. After hearing that prom was that weekend, John managed to pickpocket kids in downtown to earn money to rent a tuxedo. He even took an illegal swim in the Tina Park fountain to clean up.

**NEW TEXT MESSAGE - SENT 7:26 PM: ARNOLD:** SERIOUS PROBLEM. WILL BE LATE. IF YOU DON'T HEAR FROM ME BY 11, GET POLICE.

Gerald spit his toothpaste onto his mirror in shock.

**GERALD:** what?

**ARNOLD: **john

Gerald's mind echoed with the sound of a gunshot. That crazy bastard had come back for Arnold! It was bad enough that he almost killed Diedrek, and threatened Arnold and Jack Dwayne, but now. . .

_Shit._

Gerald dialed one of the three numbers he knew by heart, trying to convince himself that everything would be okay. He heard the phone click as it was answered, "He-"

"Pheebs, get Helga and lock yourselves in her house. Do not go to school or the boarding house."

"What's-"

"Can't talk. Calling police."

Gerald hung up and dialed 911, only to be greeted with a calm feminine voice, "Hillwood Police Department, what's your emergency?"

He was on the edge of panic, his voice coming out squeaky and high and terrified, "An escaped insane murderer is at the Sunset Arms Boarding House!"

"Does this person have a weapon?"

"I don't know! He just showed up at my friend's front door! He needs help!"

"What's the address?"

Gerald gave her the address. "A squad car is on the way to the house." He hung up the phone and wiped his foam covered mouth. He braced himself against the counter, shutting his eyes.

_Arnold had to be okay._

Instead of sitting by idly, Gerald discreetly climbed into the attic and opened up his father's locked trunk. Gerald found the key in a drawer in the garage and stumbled upon the trunk years ago. Inside were old photographs and family momentos, as well as a semi-automatic pistol and a load of bullets. Hands shaking, Gerald loaded the gun and pulled the safety.

_H-A!-H-A!_

John's forearm was pressed to Arnold's throat. "I wouldn't try to scream or run, Arnold." Arnold struggled. John had gotten stronger since he left. He put one hand over Arnold's mouth, muffling the scared response.

He then dragged the football head upstairs, locking them both into his bedroom.

Arnold's eyes were focused on the twitch in John's hands. He was holding some sort of weapon in his pocket. It could be anything, a taser, a knife, a mini-pistol. "My parents are in the kitchen-"

"Oh, you found them?" He rolled his eyes, "Of fucking course."

"Why are you here? Shouldn't you be-"

"Locked up? Ha, like they could keep me!" John finally pulled his hand out of his pocket to reveal a very sharp looking switchblade knife. Arnold shut his eyes, afraid to watch John actually stab him. _Mom, Dad, now would be a wonderful time to come upstairs._

A loud knock against the front door made them both jump. Arnold flinched and covered his face. "Hillwood Police! Open up!"

John's lip curled upward into a snarl as he shoved Arnold into the wall, hurriedly driving the knife into his side. He then jumped onto Arnold's bed and climbed through the window.

Arnold's entire body tensed and slid down the wall, legs feeling detached from his body as a trail of blood fell from the wound in his side. He couldn't tell where the knife went, but it _felt_ like a clean cut into the muscle. What if it went all the way through? Could knives do that? Was it in his ribs or his abdomen?

As he blacked out he heard the door kicked open and his mother scream.

_H-A!-H-A!_

No one knew what was happening. No one at the Hillwood High Prom had any idea that John was loose or that Arnold was probably bleeding to death in his bedroom.

Rhonda started to grow anxious around 9:30, when the front doors to the gym finally closed. The school had rules about late arrivals to try and prevent students from showing up after a pre-gaming. Of course did show up under the influence, they were just early. Rhonda hadn't seen or heard from Arnold, Helga, Gerald or Phoebe.

"Have you heard anything?"

Eugene shook his head. "I haven't heard from them, and neither has anyone else. Do you think something's wrong?"

"I'm sure it's nothing. Probably just busy walking in the park or something."

Most of the students didn't give the group of four a second thought. The baseball boys had been anxious because shit always seemed to go down with Arnold. But as the night wore on and more students danced and hooked up and secretly passed around a flask, the worries were forgotten.

**H-A!-H-A!**

All Arnold could think about was raspberries.

He had only tasted them once in his life. It was a summer day when he was ten years old. Grandpa had taken him to the next town to visit the farmer's market. Phil practically turned green at the sight of the booth. But they looked so delicious, perfectly fresh and juicy. Every popular kind of berry was at that stand: blue, black, cranberries, strawberries, and of course, raspberries.

Arnold looked between his grandpa and the farmer behind the stand. He had been dying to know for years what was so bad about them, but was always hesitant to try it.

But now he had the perfect opportunity. "Can I try one?"

"Sure," the farmer handed him a handful before Grandpa could say anything. Grandpa eyed Arnold cautiously, "Be careful, Arnold. I warn you for a reason."

"I know, Grandpa. I just really want to know. I'll never learn to believe your advice if I don't." He put a few in his mouth hesitantly, chewing and swallowing slowly. They were sweet and juicy.

Grandpa smirked. "Whatever you say, Arnold."

Ten minutes later, Arnold felt a pain bubbling in his stomach and - "_Fuck!"_

He heard an increased beeping; his heart rate and blood pressure were skyrocketing due to consciousness. The surgeon stopped and looked at his nurse, "Oh, my God, he's awake!"

"Get him more anesthesia!" Arnold had been given a low dose due to the blunt force trauma of the accident, but the drug was suddenly increased through the IV. He felt dizzy but still managed to open his eyes to the white florescent lights hovering above him. His body felt cold, numb. Detached except for the sudden shooting pain radiating from his stab wound.

He couldn't move, couldn't even speak.

Doctors had just removed the knife.

This was a nightmare.

"Arnold, Arnold, can you hear me?"

The pain was too much to bare. "_Grandpa_?"

It was 2 a.m.

No one had spoken in three hours. Yet they were thinking the same thing - what if he didn't make it out of this? The stab could've hit a lung, cracked his ribs, gotten his heart. No one knew where the knife had gone in, there was just so much blood. Arnold's hands had tried to remove the knife before he passed out, causing it to rip more muscle tissue. And who knew just how much the surgery was going to cut up?

The surgeon had finished sewing up Arnold's wound and exited the OR. He was covered in a little bit of blood and had a worried look on his face.

He was surprised to see four people waiting near the swinging doors. "You shouldn't be back here," he warned.

"We just want to know about Arnold," Miles said, voice shaking.

The doctor's unhappy look had definitely made the four even more anxious.

"The stab wound was jagged, and I had to remove some of the muscle tissue to straighten it so it could be sewn back together. They will develop back normally, but most likely weaker than before. The knife missed his rib cage by an inch. He was stabbed in the transverse abdominal muscle, which sets below the internal oblique." The doctor pointed to his side, following the muscles he cut up, "It's going to hurt to breathe for a long time so he'll be on a breathing tube for a while."

Stella covered her mouth with both hands, head shaking back and forth. This was unbelievable.

"But, we did run into some complications. You see, Arnold woke up during the surgery."

"Oh, my God!"

"We gave him more anesthesia once we realized what happened. He was aware for only a few minutes. But we know that that's enough to scar someone." The Shortmans nodded along with what the doctor was saying.

Helga was busy a few feet away, talking to the Jensen's in her most forced calm tone. "Yes, Mrs. Jensen, he's in Hillwood. . . yes, in jail. . . Well he stabbed Arnold, for one." Helga grit her teeth as the ex-boarder Mrs. Jensen gasped into the phone, her voice breaking up with what Helga thought were tears, "Is Arnold. . .okay?"

"He'll be out of surgery soon. You need to come get your son."

"Yes, I'm on my way."

Helga hung up the phone and lifted her head to see Phoebe, Miles and Stella, faces downcast and pale.

It was quite a scene in the waiting room. Two girls in flowing pink and white prom dresses while two adults stood by in pajamas.

Gerald had been detained at the police station for entering the crime scene with a loaded weapon. He had to explain to the police, and his parents, that he wasn't assisting John, but planning on using the gun as self-defense. And for the defense of Arnold. By the time Gerald had arrived at the scene, the cops had captured John as he climbed down the fire escape and tried to run for it. Gerald would be released the following afternoon.

The doctor returned a few minutes later, changed out of his surgery scrubs and back into his white lab coat. "He's in room 234, but won't be awake for a few more hours. He had a larger dose of anesthetic than we expected, so he'll be awake some time in the later morning. We suggest going home until the sun's up."

Miles turned to the group, "You guys should go back to the house. I'll stay here and call if he wakes up."

No one made any motions towards the door.

"Okay. . . I guess we're all staying here."

Arnold's vision was blurry when he woke up.

He couldn't really feel anything. He was _aware_ of the two IVs in his arm, the tube in his nose, and the intense bandaging on his right side. He was no longer in his prom tuxedo, but a polyester hospital gown.

Could he speak? "Hello?" His voice sounded coarse.

"Good, you're awake," the nurse smiled as she checked his vital signs on the monitors.

"Hopefully not in surgery this time," he joked.

The nurse's smile faded. "I'm sorry about that. It has happened before to other patients. They have a hard time sleeping after that and are required to go to therapy. We recommend you should as soon as you're waived off the morphine."

Arnold wiggled his toes, gratefully to have movement, even if he could hardly feel it. "How long until then?"

"Two weeks."

Two weeks of AP school work he'd miss. And with his injuries when would he play baseball again? He couldn't just show up at USC and not play! They were paying him to go there. Would he even be able to walk?

He had six weeks until graduation. The high school had scheduled it earlier to avoid the intense heat of June combined with all the people sitting so close together in the gym. Heat stroke had happened at past ceremonies.

Arnold shut his eyes. How was he this stressed out from being _stabbed_? He clearly needed a stronger dose of pain killers.

"Hey, you're awake," Miles peeked his head into the room. Arnold nodded, feeling as if a weight was shifting around inside his head.

"Yeah. I'm still pretty sore."

"The doctor's say you will be for a while." Miles walked in and shut the door. "Awake during surgery?"

"It was really scary, Dad. I had been having this dream and suddenly I was pulled out of it when they pulled the knife out of me."

Miles let out a low whistle. His poor son woke up at the most horrendous moment. "It's a terrifying thing. I know, I've seen it happen a few times before." It was most common with Green Eye children during oral surgeries. Miles had had his hand bitten at least four times.

"They want me to see a psychologist, but I think I'll be okay."

"We'll deal with it if it becomes a problem," Miles promised. "Mom fell asleep in the waiting room and I don't want to wake her up, so she'll be in later, okay?" Miles reached out and grabbed Arnold's hand. "I'm really glad you're okay."

He smiled. "Me too."

Miles squeezed his son's hand one last time before leaving.

Helga rushed into the room, almost tripping over the end of her prom dress.

Arnold waved his hand, cracking a smile before saying, "You look beautiful."

Helga shook her head, "You've seen better days." She slowly leaned forwards and gently kissed his cheek. "Don't scare me like that." He slowly lifted his left arm up, resting it on Helga's shoulder. She shut her eyes and held his wrist, avoiding the IV needle. "You're going to be okay."

"I don't know how long it's going to take until I can walk again."

Her eyes opened again and Arnold found himself transfixed. Had they always been this blue? "You just have to be patient, alright? I know sometimes you get frustrated in baseball when you can't get a hit. It's going to be like that, but a thousand times harder."

"Can't wait." No, the morphine was really kicking in.

"You just have to take it slow, okay?" Helga squeezed his hand, hoping he'd understand that she wasn't going anywhere. Arnold nodded before letting his eyes droop shut.

Mrs. Jensen arrived at the hospital two days later, panicking at the thought of not being able to see Arnold.

Gerald and Helga managed to stop her before she could ask reception where he room was.

"What are you doing here?"

"Shouldn't you be in school?" It was Monday, after all. Both teens knew rumors would be flying through the school about what happened - Gerald _knew_someone would say suicide for dating Helga - but Phoebe had promised to tell Rhonda to set the record straight.

"We're second semester seniors with too much free time," Helga replied bitterly, eyes narrowing at _her_. This woman had spawned the psycho child who tried to kill Arnold and Coach Diedrek. Through deductive reasoning, Helga concluded that she was a bitch.

"I need to talk to Arnold."

Gerald scoffed, "Like we'd let you in there."

Mrs. Jensen understood the kid's frustrations. She had been feeling them for her entire life. And guilt. She felt too much guilt that it hurt to get out of bed in the mornings. Two men were seriously injured because of her son. And she had no idea how many more people he'd hurt in the past. Too many to count, she feared.

"If you won't let me see him, will you at least give him this?" She pulled an envelope out of her purse and handed it to Gerald. He nodded and headed in the direction of Arnold's room.

He knocked twice before coming in. A male nurse was lowering Arnold's morphine intake as Arnold turned another page in his Spanish textbook. "Hey, man, I have something for you."

Arnold recognized the loopy cursive as Mrs. Jensen's. She signed all of her monthly rent checks the same way.

_Dear Arnold,_

_Thank you so much for opening your home to us last August. It really helped us become reconnected as a family. We hadn't eaten dinner together in years._

_Of course, we don't do that much anymore. We moved to California because John needed serious help. He had been under house arrest for two months, due to the incident with Mr. Diedrek, until he pulled a stunt and electrocuted himself to get the bracelet off. He was sent to the psychiatric ward of the local hospital in late October._

_He'd been taking his meds daily and functioning well in his group therapy. He was finally coming to terms with his problems. But in late December, something happened._

_Doctors say that an interview of you on television had sent him into a state of intense panic that boiled into fierce rage. __He was locked up tighter that afternoon, given an intense dosing of sedatives, and put under suicide watch. Three months passed and he had yet to have another episode._

_But he somehow managed to escape and. . ._

_P__lease understand how deeply and truly sorry we are for our son's actions. __My husband and I know that this won't exactly help deal with the trauma he's caused you, but we wrote you a check to cover the medical expenses._

_Thank you for your generosity and watching over John, Arnold._

_You are truly a wonderful man._

_-Andrea and George Jenson_

"What did she say?" Gerald asked as Arnold opened the envelope again. He pulled out the thin piece of paper, eyes doubling in size, "Holy _shit_."

"What?" Gerald leaned over Arnold's side and looked at the check.

* * *

MR. AND MRS. GEORGE JENSON - 05/08/11

PAY TO THE ORDER OF: Arnold Shortman_

Fifty Thousand Dollars and 0/100 dollars_

memo: hospital bills - signature: _andrea jenson_

* * *

"Oh, my god! They gave you $50,000?"

Arnold put the check back in the envelope, handing it to Gerald. "I can't take this, is she kidding me?"

"She's already left, Arnold. I think you have to."

Arnold hesitantly crossed his arms over his chest, mind weighing the options.

His gut was telling him that it was selfish to take the check. But he had overheard his parent's whispers about medical bills. They were probably more than they could handle with their temporary diagnostician jobs at the hospital. He did have his college money - God bless USC and their very understanding coach - but that still wouldn't be enough if he had to go through therapy or spend another week in room 234.

"Can you make sure my parents get this?"

"Of course, man. Also, the team wants to stop by after the game tonight. You cool with that?" Arnold held his fist out, thumb raised. Gerald grinned and completed the handshake.

"Sure, I'll get a nurse to wheel me to the visitor's wing."

By the end of the second week, Arnold was able to walk around his room with the help of the IV stand for support. He took slow, minuscule steps, his body hunched over to keep the abdominal muscles relaxed. He felt like a very weak old man.

The good news was that he no longer needed a breathing tube or morphine to dull the pain away. So long as he didn't flex his torso in any way, he felt fine.

Phoebe had planned a huge welcome home party for Arnold. Unfortunately, his parents had been booked working at the hospital, so the party was going to be unsupervised and potentially rowdy.

No matter how hard you tried to stop it, once word was out that no parents were around, kids always brought alcohol.

Sid and Stinky managed to bring beers, while Harold supplied hard liquor. Arnold was not allowed to drink due to his sleeping medication (Doctors wanted to prevent the nightmares). He didn't really plan on taking it unless something happened, but he knew drinking would make him act stupidly and injure himself further.

Arnold didn't expect to see so many people, but at the same time he was not surprised in the least. Most people had wandered up to the roof, playing the music a little bit lower so to not disturb Mr. H or Mai.

The entire baseball team - Lorenzo, Thad, Iggy, Gerald, six juniors and four underclassmen - had arrived shortly after Arnold did, coming from a close win with of 9-8 after Jack Dwayne pitched one final strike out. The Hillwood Jays were definitely ready to party, despite the early team meeting they'd have tomorrow.

"You're welcome to join us, Arnold," Jack teased.

He chuckled lightly, still afraid of hurting himself. "Like I'd give up sleeping in on a Sunday just to listen to Diedrek comment on your close call."

Jack pointed his Solo cup at Arnold, who was propped up on the couch like a king on a throne. Gerald and Thad had taken the spots beside him. "I overheard him say to Alex that some kid named Wolfgang was coming home from summer break soon. Who's he?"

"He graduated before you joined the team," Lorenzo replied.

Thad tipped his Bud Light back quickly, "Hopefully this summer Diedrek doesn't make us play Nationals. Hawaii was fun and all, but I don't think I could handle all that traveling again."

"We're only a few weeks away from the championship game," the junior James replied.

"Think you'll be healed by then?" Thad asked, gently nudging Arnold's shoulder.

"I'm really hoping for it. I had no idea how much I missed baseball until I couldn't play for two weeks."

"Eh, you'll get over that soon enough," Gerald teased. "You'll be able to do things after school and binge drink on weekends and take Helga out."

"What about me?"

The boys all turned to see Helga standing in the doorway to the living room in a little blue dress. _Little_ being the key word there. The halter dress fell very high against her thighs, following the curves of her body perfectly. Helga had only bought the dress because it was the same shade as Arnold's hat. She never even thought about wearing it because of the length, but she figured, 'What the hell?' and decided to dress up for her boyfriend's homecoming.

Iggy let out a low whistle. God, he'd forgotten that Helga looked that good. Jack completely diverted his attention to the grooved lines on his Solo cup. Most of the other boys smiled or nodded at her.

Gerald finally answered, "Since Arnold's injured he can finally take you on dates." Helga brightened at that idea, crossing the room and sitting on the coffee table in front of her boyfriend.

"How have you been, Helga?"

Helga didn't know who said it, so she just turned around to face the room. "I've been better."

"Look on the bright side, only four weeks until graduation!"

All of the seniors in the room began cheering, which called the attention of the kids in the kitchen. They all rushed in, making it just in time to see Iggy and Thad begin chugging their beers.

"TWENTY-ELEVEN!" Thad screamed as he crushed his empty can against his head. Everyone applauded.

The team began filing out of the room, some off getting drinks while others followed Thaddeus to the roof, chanting "SENIORS!" Gerald leaned back against the couch as Helga took the empty spot beside Arnold.

Gerald smiled, "You clean up nice, Pataki."

"I'll pretend that was genuine," she teased before taking Thaddeus' empty seat. Arnold leaned in slightly towards Helga, and whispered something into her ear. She pulled back suddenly, blushing. Arnold's hand slid up her bare thigh, tracing the sensitive skin of her scar. She shivered.

"Ew, wait, what did you say to her?" Gerald rose to his feet quickly, covering his ears before fleeing the room. "Gah! Never mind, don't tell me!"

Arnold grinned triumphantly, "I told you I could get rid of him."

"I'm impressed," she replied before leaning in to kiss him. She knew Arnold would be hesitant about moving his right side, let alone letting her near the injury, so she planned on taking this slow. Quick kisses. Gentle.

"I missed you," Arnold whispered.

"I was at the hospital every day, Football Head."

"No. I _missed_ you," he punctuated his statement with a kiss on neck.

_Oh._

Helga kissed him a little bit harder this time, pulling back slowly, leaving her lips just barely grazing his, "Later."

"Hey, Arnold! Everyone wants you up on the roof," Sid announced as he approached the bottom of the stairs.

"I don't know if I actually can-"

Before Arnold could protest, Harold had gently lifted him, hands resting against his left side. Arnold tried his hardest to relax, ignoring the fact that Harold reeked of booze.

"Don't worry, I got you, bro."

Helga had a hard time climbing the stairs. She was too busy laughing at the ridiculousness of the scene. Big, strong, football player Harold carrying poor injured Arnold up the stairs bridal style.

April was coming to a close with only seven days left and the old P.S. 118 kids were celebrating their last few weeks of school.

Everyone left around midnight. Phoebe and Gerald stayed behind to clean up while Helga helped Arnold bathe. Miles and Stella arrived around one a.m, but by then the house was empty and locked up, everyone sleeping soundly.

Arnold's chest felt tight. _Constricted._

His eyes shot open, body bolting upright in bed.

Helga gasped and jumped up with him.

_He was strapped to the table like one of those torture victims. Legs, chest, arms. Locked in tight in metal braces. And he was in a small room. The roof was low hanging and the table could barely fit inside._

_"Stop, no, please!" He begged form behind his mouth gag._

_His body thrashed back and forth under the binding. His chest continued to grow more and more constricted, he was gasping for air. The table beneath him was moving upwards towards a bright light. He tried to look away, but it provided an odd sense of calm._

_Until the silhouette appeared with a very reflective knife._

Helga watched in horror from the end of Arnold's bed as he thrashed around. His arms were throwing the comforter off of him, his legs kicking hard against the mattress.

_He needed to get out of there. Tears escaped his eyes as t__he pain escalated, radiating from his abdomen and jolting through his nerve endings. He felt as if his brain was being tugged at it was so shocking. The shadow then laughed, a sick twisted sound that made Arnold want to vomit._

_The knife was then quickly removed, just as fast and with just as much force as it was put in. The blood._

_It was everywhere. Gushing out of him. On his hands, his clothes. He swore he was drowning in it._

His eyes were wide open, looking completely panicked. He was struggling to breathe, his chest was rising and falling so fast. Arnold was babbling incoherently, the only thing Helga could catch was a very loud and firm _no._

"_Stop it, don't touch me!" He__ had managed to thrash himself free_ and move forwards, his eyes processing the shadowed figure at the end of his bed. His terror filled mind went into overdrive, lunging at the figure.

_He shoved the surgeon to the ground, knocking the knife out of his hands._

Helga was crying, trying hard not to struggle. That smack across the face really hurt.

He suddenly stopped, falling back against the floor, limbs still waving by his sides.

_He screamed from the pain._

He screamed so loud that Helga bolted from the floor and ran downstairs, making sure to bang loudly against the wooden attic steps. No one could sleep through the noise she was making. "Miles! Stella!"

Helga was scared. She had never seen Arnold look like that. Sweaty, scared, angry and flailing. Even when John held the gun to his head the first time, Arnold had been incredibly brave and stone faced. But the fear. . .the pure terror in his eyes made her heart lurch. And he had never laid a hand on her so violently before.

As soon as Arnold's body calmed down, he shot up again. Tears followed immediately.

Miles switched on the bedroom light. Stella had her arms around Helga, comforting her. Her poor pale skin was reddening with hand prints.

Miles sat down beside his son, pulling him in for a hug. He held his son close as he cried away the fear. After Arnold stopped, Miles stood up, "I'm going to go get your sleeping pills."

Stella wiped a tear off Helga's reddened cheek. "Are you okay?"

Helga managed a weak nod.

After Miles gave Arnold his pills and a glass of water, he looked at Helga's face under the light. "It's going to be sore, but it doesn't look like it will bruise. Nothing's broken or bleeding, so you'll be okay."

"Thanks, Miles."

"What happened?"

Helga bit her lip and looked at his parents. Stella sighed and sat down on the bed, patting the spot beside her, inviting Arnold to sit. "You had a night terror. They're more violent and scarier than nightmares. You were moving, flailing around, and. . ." she looked at Helga, "you managed to attack Helga."

Arnold stood on his feet, even though all of that thrashing he'd done really hurt his side, and walked over to Helga. Arnold didn't know if he had stopped crying since he woke up or these tears were fresh and new and horrible because he'd physically hurt his girlfriend. His voice broke, face falling in desperation, "Helga."

He fell to his knees - the pain was too much. "I'm sorry. I'm so so sorry." He held her hand, squeezed it tight.

Arnold looked down at the floor, glaring at his reflection in the polished wood. A tear fell, splashing on Helga's foot.

It took a minute, but Helga finally squeezed his hand back.

**H-A!-H-A!**

Arnold couldn't help it. He flinched.

"Relax, kid. It'll hurt worse if you move." Arnold felt one hand holding his stomach down, the other holding the needle. "Just close your eyes and count."

Arnold did as he was told and began counting upwards from zero. The pain shot through his skin immediately. He wanted to scream out. In the back of his mind he felt the fear from his surgery creeping up.

He was conscious. Couldn't move. . .but he could talk.

"You do this a lot?"

The tattoo artist smirked as his instrument traced along Arnold's surgery scar, layering the black ink over the stencil. "More often than you think. People like to pretty up their scars so it's not intimidating. And it helps them move on."

Arnold nodded. That was one of the many reasons he was doing this. "What's your favorite tattoo that you've done?"

The man looked up from Arnold's side, trying hard not to laugh. He knew a lot of people talked to keep their mind off the pain, even with the numbing cream applied to the area. Usually the person told their reasons why they were getting the tattoo. But hardly anyone asked him questions. "Can't say, actually. I like all the ones I've done."

"Most interesting?"

"There was a kid, he had to be at least fourteen, who came in and asked for the molecular structure design of the rhinovirus." The artist shook his head, "A drawing of the common cold. It's a weird 3D sphere design with all of this texture and pattern. But the kid knew everything about it, and about a dozen other diseases. He came back twice more before he turned eighteen." He wiped away some ink from the stencil and resumed tracing Arnold's design.

"I know him! Sid, he's a friend of mine. He actually told me to come here."

"Smart kid."

The entire process took a little less than an hour. The design wasn't complicated, it just took a while to get it all written and kept neat. "It's going to take at least three weeks to heal." The tattoo artist handed Arnold a slip of paper, "All of the care instructions are clearly written out here. There's also information about what to do if it becomes infected."

"Okay, thanks."

The bandage used wrapped around Arnold's side, sticking down from his hips up to his armpit. Arnold shook the man's hand and awkwardly limped towards the bus station.

* * *

**A/N:** I gotta tell you, it's a relief that I finally made Chapter 19, 15 Minutes of Fame, relevant to this story again. [If you didn't catch that plot point, seeing Arnold and his parent's interview on _The Opal Show_ made Crazy John snap and thirst for revenge.] Score one for me.


	24. Graduation & Goodbyes

**A/N:** The songs mentioned in this chapter that weren't created in the Hey Arnold! universe are "Where Were You?" by Every Avenue, copyright under Fearless Records. The other is "Little Wonders" by Rob Thomas, found on the soundtrack for the Walt Disney Animation Studio picture_ Meet the Robinsons_.

* * *

**Love is Like A Baseball Bat**

_Chapter Twenty-Four: Graduation & Goodbyes_

* * *

Helga hadn't seen much of Arnold since his release from physical therapy one week ago. He was feeling much better, moving easier and jogging, and finally catching up on last minute work before AP Exams began. He was finally sleeping through the entire night, terror free.

It had been hard to leave him alone at night. She may have been scared, but she wanted to help. But Arnold, Miles and Stella all advised to stay away for at least two weeks.

The two hour movement sessions every day definitely helped Arnold regain control of his normal motions, taking deep breaths, bending forwards and backwards, even raising his arms too high above his head. His scar was healing exceptionally well and his muscles were slowly rebuilding. He still had a slight hunch in his walk, trying to apply pressure to the scarred muscles, but it was fading with every day.

The couple would cross paths in the hallways at school, and talk during Statistics, but Helga got roped into helping Miram at Pataki Electronics after school until 9. Arnold would still be at baseball until 10, or even later, still taking it slow and getting back into the swing of things. He'd jog five laps while everyone else ran 15. Every day he was building up speed, taking on more laps. Pretty soon he'd be back to his old workout, but he didn't expect that to happen until the middle of the summer.

All of his downtime in between doctor's visits and skipping the cool down laps at baseball practice had finally given him the kick to get over second semester senioritis and work.

Helga really had to buckle down too. She had no idea what was happening in AP Statistics, let alone AP English Lit. What book were they even reading?

_Macbeth_, apparently.

Helga groaned and pushed the Shakespeare play aside. She had read the first three acts before losing interest. She had called Arnold twice in the past hour, but he still hadn't called her back. What if something was wrong?

_Calm down, ol' girl. It's almost 9 at night. I doubt anything's wron-_

Her phone vibrated. "Hello?"

"Guess who's outside?"

Helga ran to her window, "Well I hope it's not that creepy guy in that old Packard. He's been hanging around the neighborhood too often." She laughed, "I think I have a stalker."

"Just come answer the door. I have a surprise for you."

Helga clicked her phone off and braced herself. Arnold was hard to figure out when it came to surprises, and yet so predictable in every other situation.

Miram opened the door before Helga could get to it. "Hello, Arnold. How are you feeling?"

"I've never been better, actually. Pretty soon it'll be like it never happened." Arnold's smile brightened at the sight of Helga at the top of the stairs.

"Well I know you didn't come over to play catch up with me, so I'll see you later," Miriam shut the front door and headed into her office, Olga's old trophy room. Helga stopped halfway down the stairs, just smiling down at her love.

Arnold ran up the stairs in a fast jog, greeting Helga with a kiss. "Come on," he winked and pulled her into her bedroom. Helga laughed, "Arnold, Miriam is right-"

His shirt was off before Helga could finish. She stopped.

Helga's hand reached out, tracing the words curling along the edge of his scar. Arnold shivered, he was sensitive and ticklish around his scar. "_It was terrifying and beautiful all at the same time."_

Her eyes went upwards to meet his, but stopped at the other tattoo. It was in smaller print, right above his heart.

_"I've always sworn it,  
I've always loved you,  
My darling, my darling." _

She recognized the small handwriting from her little pink book. From fourth grade. "Arnold, you idiot."

He smiled, "Hey, you still remember your poem!"

"I can't believe you got this tattooed on your body!"

"Why?"

Helga shook her head instead of answering. There was no way she could express her doubts. He was going to college far, far away from here. Going to meet exciting new people and experience things he never could in Hillwood. Everything was going to work out perfectly for him. Scholarship, baseball team, good grades. And he'd probably find someone else to date.

Isn't that was always happened in college relationships? One goes off, the other stays behind. One of them cracks to peer pressure or is just so sad that they fall prey to cheating.

And then he'd be stuck of a tattoo of his ex-girlfriend's love poem.

"I just-you. . ." She sighed. "What about the other one? I don't know what's beautiful about being stabbed, but whatever floats your boat, Football Head."

Arnold laughed, "It's a quote from my dad's old journal on the day of my birth. Originally it was about the volcanic eruption. I had him rewrite it out so they could match his handwriting." He shrugged, "I don't know, this line always stuck with me. Seemed appropriate in this situation. If I'm gonna be stuck with this scar forever, might as well make it beautiful."

Helga's eyes were still glued to his pectoral. He narrowed his eyes, trying to read her expression, "What's wrong?"

No. She wasn't going to say it. She was always the one to doubt the strength of their relationship. That wasn't very fair to her or Arnold.

"I'm scared, Helga."

She finally looked him in the eyes. "Of leaving this city. My home. You. I get so afraid of not being able to walk a few blocks to see you, of leaving my parents and my friends and the boarding house, that it makes me not want to go."

"Oh, Arnold." Helga pulled him in for a hug. "It's okay to be scared. You always try so hard to be brave, but. . .college is a scary place. But I promise you that you'll enjoy it. You'll be so busy taking in everything new that you'll forget to be homesick until it's time for Winter Break." She placed his hand over her heart. "Everyone's scared to go to college. It's like admitting you're an adult and ready to take on the next step. But you, my love, are worrying for nothing. The boarding house, your parents, Gerald and I will still be here when you get back."

Helga sat down on the bed, pulling Arnold down with her. "You have nothing to be afraid of." She poked his tattoo of her poem, smiling, "I'll be with you."

**H-A!-H-A!**

She found her body naturally bending and twisting as she brought her leg up, arm back, and threw the ball. She was pleased with herself as the ball flew right over the plate.

Helga juggled the next ball in her hand.

She hadn't actually pitched by herself in such a long time. But she needed to think. Tomorrow was May 1 - National College Decision Day. She'd have to email the colleges who accepted her, telling her which one she's going to.

Hillwood University. Florida State. Tulane. She'd even applied to some school in Alaska to make Olga happy.

"I don't know what I want to do," she said to herself. Was college even the right choice for her?

Helga screamed and threw the ball as fast as she could.

"Oh, Helga's Hell. Haven't seen that in a while."

She jumped, turning around in surprise, to see Alex standing a few feet infield. He was wearing a Boston Red Sox t-shirt and a very knowing smirk.

"What do you want?" she replied angrily, throwing the next one as a curve ball.

"To talk to you. I know you had your heart set on Boston-"

Helga cringed at the mention of the city. "Yeah, well, that's not happening."

Helga continued to pitch the balls as fast as she could, hoping Alex would get the hint and walk away. As soon as the bucket was empty, Helga kicked it towards home plate. She fell to her knees on the clay mound, tears welling in her eyes.

Alex sat down beside her. "I got rejected from every college I applied to. All 15 of them."

Helga couldn't help it. She laughed.

"I know. It really sucked. I felt like absolute shit. So I packed up my car and drove. I drove so far and so fast I knew no one would even bother looking for me. I ended up here because of a newspaper ad I found in Jeffersonville. 'WANTED: Assistant baseball coach to help whip Hillwood Jays into shape.' I figured, what the hell? I actually like baseball in high school and always thought coaches were good people. Plus I needed the money." He smiled, "And my first assignment was to find a pitcher."

Helga nodded, "And you found me."

"You're strong, Pataki. And smart. Just because you didn't stay on this baseball team for your senior year doesn't mean you should stop playing."

"Yeah, yeah."

"Helga, you were the worst misbehaver on this team. You directly disobeyed orders and tried to keep secrets and act like nothing was going on. You were willing to do whatever it took to play the game, even if you got injured or angry. You wanted to play. You were even willing to teach children just so you could pitch a ball." Helga chuckled. "What happened to her?"

Helga kicked some of the clay free and watched it form to dust in the air. "I. . .I don't know. She grew up? Started listening to authority figures? Got attacked by jellyfish?"

"Why don't you tell me when you know the answer." He sighed and and his fingers through his hair, "I'm quitting after you guys graduate. Diedrek, of all people, convinced me to actually go to college. He'd been bothering me since Thanksgiving. He said he knew I wasn't happy here...I guess I really wasn't. Running away didn't help me figure anything out."

Helga was watching Alex as he spoke. He was serious, but still had a hint of a smile on his mouth. He was just as confused and scared of the future as she was.

"You have time to figure things out, Helga. You can go to a college during the spring, or take online classes, or just take a gap year and work. You can do whatever you want. Be like Baseball Player Helga. Don't let _anyone_ tell you what to do."

And with that, (Ex) Assistant Coach Alex was gone.

Helga pulled her knees into her chest and closed her eyes. She had a lot to think about.

"Oh my gosh, Helga, are you okay?"

Helga opened her eyes, surprised to find herself under the worried eyes of Phoebe. Her back was on the mound, body splayed out like she was making a clay angel. She must've dozed off.

Helga stood up and dusted herself off, "I'm fine, why?"

"No one had heard from you since school let out. Your mom wanted you at the store and Arnold was worried and I need help with my graduation speech."

Helga smirked, "All right, Phoebe. Let's go back to your house and you can practice your speech on me."

**H-A!-H-A!**

Arnold was woken up by a pile-driver from his girlfriend.

When he finally stopped screaming and unfurled his body from the fetal position, he started laughing. Who else but Helga G. Pataki would wake him up like that? "To what do I owe this great pleasure, Miss Pataki?"

"It's Senior Skip Day! Why are you sleeping in? Everyone's already at the beach!"

It was only 10 a.m. But apparently that was wasting too much sunlight. "Okay, okay, let me get dressed."

Senior Skip Day was the Monday before Graduation, which was happening on Saturday. The students were in the home stretch now, preparing to say goodbye. Skip Day usually brought the teens together in one last hurrah before AP Exams began. During the week students had tests during the morning or afternoon, and were required to head back to school after the test. Some kids had two in a day and couldn't make it back to school. Everyone would be in and out all day with little time to hang out.

Helga reclined in Arnold's bed and put her hands behind her head. She really loved this view. This room. And the boy who lived in it.

Arnold reappeared from his closet, bathing suit and t-shirt replacing his pajamas. He tossed a towel over his shoulder and leaned against his doorframe. "You ready?"

Helga nodded, grinning as she climbed the steps leading to the roof, "Race you!"

They took off towards the street. Helga was a professional roof/fire escape climber. She could get up and get down incredibly fast.

She leaned against the Packard's drivers side and waited for her boyfriend to show up. Arnold stepped out the front door seconds later. "I would've won if I didn't have to stop and get the keys."

"Whatever you say, Arnold."

Helga found herself singing to Dino Spumoni love songs on the radio. She wanted to run around in the sun and throw water at the girls too chicken to get into the cold ocean. She wanted to play beach football and lay in the sand. She wanted to make the most of this day because she knew the joy she was feeling would fade.

Phoebe was heading off to MIT early for summer classes and Arnold had baseball practice with the South Carolina Gamecocks. They were leaving in June, along with Lorenzo, Iggy, who had finalized their Europe Travel plans. The Franklin High kids: Sid, Stinky, Harold, would be in school for two more weeks before graduation.

And most kids who were sticking around were getting jobs. Harold still worked at Green Meats, while Nadine worked with Mrs. Vitello at the flower shop. Thad worked for his parents. Helga could work for her mother, but she wouldn't really be paid. And Brainy was being shipped off to train with the National Guard for eleven weeks, while Sheena was off to D.C. to train for the Peace Corps.

Helga still had decisions to make. She had decided to go to Hillwood University. She'd received in-state tuition and Gift Aid, which would cover the cost of dorm and meals. The local campus was about a forty-five minute drive from the neighborhood, but Helga couldn't decide if she wanted to be a commuter student or not.

She was really lazy and dreading the idea of moving into a small dorm with another girl. But if she was a commuter, how would she make friends? With a roommate, she was guaranteed to know one person on campus. But she could also end up hating her roommate. . .

No, that was too much worrying for now. She had two and a half months to worry about it. She wanted to enjoy today without worries. So she'd always look back on high school and remember it was great.

Arnold had noticed Helga grow quiet. He knew what she was thinking.

But as soon as Arnold parked at the beach, Helga leaned out the window and cheered. "Let's party!"

**H-A!-H-A!**

_"It is with great pleasure to congratulate your high school graduates, the Hillwood High Class of 2011!"_

It was surreal. It didn't seemed like it happened.

But it did.

Helga held her diploma in her hands, grinning as she walked down the steps outside the gym. Everyone had tossed their hats into the air and scrambling to pick one up again. Helga didn't care so much whose hat she had, she never planned on wearing it again.

The senior class was one of the smaller ones at Hillwood High. Only 100-something students, and the ceremony only took two and a half hours. Speeches were kept short from the Principal, valedictorian and salutatorian, the two students with the highest and second highest cumulative GPA from their four years in high school. Phoebe was obviously valedictorian, and delivered her speech just minutes after receiving her diploma.

Miriam stood a few feet away, like most other parents, with tears in her eyes and her arms wide open. "Congratulations!" Helga hugged her mother tightly, pulling back when someone tapped her shoulder.

"Baby Sister!" Olga cried, leaning forwards and wrapping Helga into a hug. Helga tensed, but finally returned the gesture.

"Wow, Olga, I can't believe you made it."

Olga tenderly pushed Helga's hair back behind her ear, "I wouldn't have missed this, Helga!"

A professional photographer waved Helga to stand close to Olga. Helga pulled Miram and Olga onto either side of her, smiling brightly as her navy blue cap and gown got squished between her family. The photographer captured a few quick shots before turning to the next family.

"Helga!" Miles pushed through the crowds of students and family, hugging and crying and congratulating, before making it close to the Pataki girls. "Come on, we want a group shot."

Helga tossed her cap and diploma to her mother before promising she'd be back soon.

Phoebe and Helga were smushed between her boyfriends, trying hard not to laugh as Stella struggled to work the camera. Miles finally took it from her and snapped the shots quickly. The girls were then pulled into hugs by the boys, only pulling back to hug each other. "Your speech was amazing," Helga whispered.

"Thank you. And congratulations."

The afternoon continued with more and more pictures and hugs and congratulations. Helga's jaw hurt from smiling so much.

Miram and Olga drove her home, discussing summer plans. "I would love it so very much, Helga, if you came to visit me."

Helga shrugged, "It's my last summer home, Olga. You understand that, right? I visited you two summers ago for the entire time. And you recently came back for Thanksgiving."

She sighed. "You're right. Maybe I'll just stay here, spend some time with you."

Helga wanted to smack her head into the window. She loved Olga, even more now that she stopped trying to be Little Miss Perfect when it came to Miram and Helga.

Olga missed Big Bob and stayed in contact with him. Helga always acted uninterested when he came up in conversation. Miriam was slowly adjusting to the idea of speaking to him again. She was hesitant, especially because of his most recent visit back home was still burning in the back of her mind. She felt horrible after that, and knew Helga did too.

"Don't you have a job or a boyfriend or something?"

"I'm a teacher, Helga. I have summer break just like everyone else."

Shit. She really didn't need this on top of everything else. "But Mom has the electronics store."

Olga's smile brightened, "Even more reason to stay here."

Helga finally pushed her forehead into the window, closing her eyes. Miriam cleared her throat once the car was in park outside the house. Helga sighed and got out, finally shrugging out of her gown. She was too busy picking up her wristlet to notice that Miram and Olga were standing beside another car.

"Surprise!"

Helga stood in front of her mother's car, blinking. The car in front of her was _beautiful_. A shinning red 2011 Lexus IS four door sedan.

Olga handed Helga a pair of keys before clapping excitedly. "Daddy works at a car dealership now. He got a free car for selling a lot in the past year. So, after I mentioned how you desperately needed a ride to and from college. . ." Olga's voice trailed off, her voice still squeaking with joy.

Of course, he's always got to be selling something. Helga's fist clenched around the key ring.

Accepting this car was like letting Big Bob buy her approval. Bob didn't want love. He wanted a good reputation. And Helga did not want to give him that. And yet. . .

_Fuck you, Olga._

Miriam watched Helga's expression change from passive to angry. Her eyebrows were drawn together as she directed her glare at the ground.

Olga's face fell. "Why aren't you excited?"

Helga forced a tight-lipped smile, "Just surprised is all."

"Why don't you go take it for a drive?" Miram eyes flicked from the front door to the car, making Helga realize that she wouldn't get any privacy to scream or cry in the house with Olga around.

Helga hadn't driven a car in a long time. She was a little nervous. She hadn't actually been behind the wheel since she turned sixteen and got her license. Other than a quick trip to the store, she never drove anywhere.

She slowly pulled the door back, surprised to realize she didn't even need to click the unlock button. Once she got inside the tan leather seat, she pressed down on the break and pushed the start button.

The GPS Screen lit up with a map of the streets. Helga was pretty good at directions so she figured this would hardly get used. She clicked a few buttons to turn on the radio. Habit forced her to MJAZZ. "You Better Not Touch My Gal" by none other than Dino Spumoni was playing. Helga rolled her shoulders back and adjusted the seat before putting the car in drive.

The speed limit in the neighborhood was anywhere between 25 and 40, depending on whether or not children and cops were around. Helga pressed her foot on the gas and drove off.

The stop sign at the end of the next block gave her a chance to change radio stations. She switched it to the alternative/rock station. She vaguely recalled the song, at least the instrumentals sounded familiar. It wasn't until she passed by a block of kids having a water balloon fight did she remember. This song was in a Nerf Gun commercial.

_"All I want to know is  
where were you when I needed you most?  
Why did you leave me alone?  
We gave up before we gave it a change,  
but I don't understand."_

Helga listened to the song, tapping her fingers against the steering wheel, as she drove past her old high school. _"And that was Every Avenue's 'Where Were You?'"_ Helga groaned and flipped the radio off. She hated announcers and commercials.

She continued driving on, not really sure of her destination anymore.

But at least she could talk to herself.

"Fucking Bob, who the hell does he think he is, giving me a car?" She shook her head and started laughing. "Of course Olga talked to him. Olga convinced him. There's no way Bob would've done this out of the goodness of his cholesterol clogged heart. If I take this car and use it, it will just continue Olga to beg Bob to. . .I don't know, buy me things. "

Helga groaned and smacked the edge of the wheel angrily.

"And if I take it, doesn't that make me look like I'm ready to forgive him? Because I'm not. I don't want anything to do with him. And every time I got in the car I'd be reminded of him."

She hated to do this, but she had to go interrupt Arnold's limited quality time with the boarders. He'd know what to do.

Arnold almost dropped his glass at the sound of a loud horn honking outside. The old boarders all rushed to the living room window. Ernie was the first to speak, "Now that is a hot ride."

Arnold opened the front door and watched Helga get out and slam the car door. The end of her dress got caught in the door. "Damn it!" she screamed. Helga opened the door again, pulling her dress out. She angrily crossed the street, feet stepping hard on the tar road.

"What's wrong?"

Helga threw her hands in the direction of the shiny new vehicle, "This fucking car!"

"It's beautiful-"

"It's from Bob."

"-in a horrible way," Arnold finished with a half-smile.

"I know you have the family over and it's a big deal and everything but I just. . .I needed to talk to someone who wasn't Olga or Miriam. Phoebe would've psychoanalyzed me and I am not ready to listen to that and have to deal with Olga staying for the entire summer and I. . ." Helga's words were stringing together she was talking so fast.

Arnold pulled his arm around her shoulder and kissed the top of her head. "I can't tell you what to do."

"I was afraid you'd say that."

"Either way you're making an impression on your dad. By taking it you accept his gift and most likely his attempt at _something. _But if you reject it and tell him to take it back, you could ruin your chance of ever speaking to him again."

Helga dug her head into Arnold's shoulder. This gift was the last thing she needed right now. College, Olga, and her future had been more than enough to deal with. She couldn't even bare to start thinking about goodbyes, but she knew they were coming. And now this.

"I think you should go talk to your mom. She knows how Bob works better than I do." Helga kissed him goodbye and returned home.

Miriam was waiting on the doorstep, cell phone pressed against her ear. "I don't know if she wants to keep it. . . .She drove off to think about it. . . .I don't know."

Helga could tell from the look on her mother's face that it was Bob. Helga locked the car and motioned for the phone. "Yes?"

_"Do you like the car?"_

"It's nice, I guess."

_"Will you be keeping it? Because I do not need it." _Helga could picture him sitting in a leather chair, arms crossed over his as he spoke into a Bluetooth headset. She imagined him sitting in front of the tv, eating take out.

"I. . ." she shook her head, "I will out of necessity for college travels. Not out of want. Believe me, this is the last thing I wanted from you, Bob." She hung up the phone and walked upstairs.

She had to get ready for Rhonda's graduation party.

H-A!-H-A!

It was the alcohol. Helga was definitely blaming her tears on the alcohol.

The old gang had gathered at Rhonda's mansion for another "circle talk". Except there wasn't much talking, mostly alcohol consumption occupied the graduates. Around midnight other graduates showed up and it turned into a regular party.

Harold and Helga had been destroying everyone at beer pong, but when she was challenged to drink against him, she put on her stone face and asked for a shot. So she was six Tequila shots, and at least fourteen cups of beer, deep, when her eyes started to water.

"Is the burn too much for you, _Hel-guh_?" Harold slurred as he tossed back another shot. He gagged as he swallowed, the burn actually hurting him a lot more. He knew there was no way he could do another shot, and he knew Helga wouldn't either.

Drunk or not, Helga could sense weakness in her opponent.

"Give me _dos_," she joked, flashing a peace sign at Sid and Stinky. They poured her shots and stepped back, afraid she'd projectile vomit.

Helga was super drunk. Probably the most drunk she'd ever been in her life. Usually she was a better pacer, doing, at most, four shots throughout the night. She'd chase them with cheap beers, but tried hard not to go overboard.

Harold had a low tolerance. Always had. But he made the mistake of thinking Helga did too.

Helga finished her shots as quick as she could, face curling in disgust as she swallowed the second. 8 to 6 and Helga was declared Drinking Champion. Helga smacked the table and cheered.

That was a mistake. Standing up so fast gave her an intense head rush, followed by another wave of dizziness.

"Helga, you don't look good."

Helga splayed her hands out, shouting, "Everyone stop s-sspinning!" She shivered, suddenly feeling very cold. Had it always been that cold in the room?

Two hands pulled her arms down and guided her towards the nearest bathroom. Along the way, whoever it was - Helga couldn't see with all her curly hair in her eyes - grabbed a tray of water bottles. Her savior pushed her to the tile floor of the restroom, opening the toilet and standing behind her.

"I don't have to puke."

"Oh, you're going to!"

Helga pushed her hair out of her eyes, blinking as she looked at Gerald standing behind her. "You are not dying of alcohol poisoning. Don't think I won't shove my finger down your throat. Puke or I get physical."

Helga shut her eyes, having half a mind to push her hair a little back before forcing a gag. She dry heaved for a moment before she emptied her stomach.

Four times.

Gerald had his hand pressed against her back, holding her hair out of the way of vomit. After being stuck with Arnold for a majority of high school parties, Gerald no longer minded puke. It was gross, sure, but he could handle taking care of someone. He'd seen and helped Arnold do it a million times.

After her fifth dry heave, Helga was sure her stomach had been cleaned out. Gerald sat her with her back against the wall and handed her a water bottle. "You will not rise from that spot until you drink two."

Being stern with drunks usually made them listen. Gerald had learned to act tough and give glares in order to get people to listen. Girls were easier to deal with that way.

He leaned against the sink, arms crossed over his chest. Helga took long sips from the water bottle. "Why-why would you do this?"

"Because Arnold would kill me for letting you drink so much."

"Like I need his permission!"

"He put me in charge of you. He worries about you."

Helga took another long swig, "Why? I can take care of myself."

Gerald gave her a pointed look. "He chose to miss this party so he could see the old boarders and asked me to watch out for you. Leaving you alone at this party would've meant you'd either be so drunk you'd hurt yourself, or someone else would hurt you. You could've gotten in a fight, or attacked, or tripped down the stairs."

"I'm not that bad."

"Not usually. But. . ." Gerald shook his head. "Phoebe and Arnold both care about you a lot. And they know you're at risk for. . ." He bit his tongue. "Alcohol dependence."

"Is that fancy talk for alcoholism?"

"There's a difference. Your mother was lucky."

"She was verbally abused by my father." Helga laughed bitterly. "So was I."

"He's gone now. You and your mom are doing amazingly well. You graduated high school, got into college, and your mom is running one of the most successful electronic stores in this city."

Helga rolled her eyes, "You spend too much time with Football Head."

"I'm glad I do 'cause now I know how you operate."

"Ew." Helga giggled and finished off her water bottle. Gerald handed her the second one immediately.

"You don't have to act so tough, Pataki. You just told me your dad hurt you. And yet you remain unmoved."

Helga looked away from Gerald, focusing on the toilet beside her. "I'm tired of being sad about what an asshole he is. Okay? I'm sick of reliving the fights we had at night before I fall asleep. I'm tired of thinking I'll end up like him."

And that's when she teared up. She wiped away the few fallen ones with the back of her wrist.

Gerald slowly sat down beside her. "You're nothing like him."

Helga laughed again and began counting on her fingers,. "Violent, verbally abusive, abrasive, stubborn, unapologetic, and just down right mean."

"You're not any of those things."

"Are you fucking _kidding_ me, Gerald? You said so yourself how awful I was to you!"

"Before. Back in fourth grade. Before you grew up and realized what a jerk you were. Before you apologized to me on my stoop."

"Yeah, and how much did things change? Hardly. I'm just here waiting for the day you and Phoebe and Arnold and everyone I know gets sick of me. Just finally decides that I am horrible and stops talking to me."

"That would never happen, Helga. Do you even know how important you are to us?"

Helga snorted. "Us?"

"All of us. Your mother, your sister, Phoebe, me, the old gang. We all grew up together and have still remained close. And don't even get me started on Arnold." Helga rolled her eyes again. "The boy got a tattoo of your poem on his heart! That's practically a wedding ring! Although more permanent, it's just as painful."

She remained silent.

"He's loved you since day one. He may be dense as hell, but I know he has. You guys are meant to be together and stay together, no matter how hard you push him away."

"But-"

"There's no buts in this, Helga. Seriously, sometimes Arnold just won't shut up about you. It drives me crazy."

"Really?"

"I hate him when he goes on these tangents. He used to stare off into space but now he just blabs about you. Your writing, your hair, your eyes-" Gerald shuddered. "I still cringe half the time. . . .Oh, God, I'm having flashbacks."

"Oh, man up. Phoebe told me-"

Gerald covered his ears, "No, she told you _nothing_."

"Oh, sure, like if I hit this spot-" Helga pressed behind his ear and Gerald flinched away. "And she told me how you cried when you made up." Helga was laughing now. "Oh, and the sex-"

"SHUT UP!"

"I'm just teasing, Gerald. She has told me nothing about your_ lovemaking_. Although, I have to say, it's a relief you guys finally fucked."

He massaged his head, feeling a serious migrane coming on. "You're even more annoying drunk."

"Hey, you just said yourself that I was important to you! Come on, man, we're bros! I'm gonna be annoying and you're going to be," she gestured to the air, "you."

"Come on, I think you're feeling better." Gerald helped Helga slowly stand on her feet.

"You just want to get rid of me."

Gerald shrugged, laughing as Helga looked offended. "I'm kidding, sweetheart."

"I told you not to call me that, Hair Boy."

Gerald nodded as he guided Helga back to the party. She stood at the edge of the hallway, watching everyone dance in Rhonda's living room. She seemed calm, less disorderly and more sober than she was before.

Gerald sighed and shut his eyes. This entire day couldn't be put into words. They were high school graduates. Everyone was going to separate colleges. Everything was changing, all of it happening so fast. They were grown ups now.

It wasn't fourth grade anymore.

He turned to his friend, his good friend who he'd known since he was three. She drove him crazy half the time, but that was one of the funnest parts of their relationship. Teasing each other, joking at how much they hated each other. He was pretty sure he never actually did. Hate was such a strong word.

He had figured if Arnold could love her, there had to be something good about her. And there were quite a few redeeming qualities in Miss Helga Geraldine Pataki. If you were on her good side, you were going to be protected by any means necessary. How could anyone pass that up? Loyalty was hard to find in someone.

"Hey, Helga?" She turned around to face him, smiling. "I love you. You're like the sister I never wanted."

Helga punched his arm before pulling him in for a hug, "Right back at you, Gerald." He couldn't help but laugh.

"Let me drive you home."

"Like I'd let you touch my new car."

Gerald held his hand out, waving it for her keys, "I'm not letting you get behind the wheel." Helga sighed and handed over the keys, "Fine. Just let me hug Princess."

Rhonda was standing next to the bar in a familiar looking red dress, talking to Sid about something pointless. Shoes or closets or something.

"Princess," Helga smiled and threw her arms out, pulling Rhonda in for a hug. "I had a lot of fun tonight."

"You'll come back tomorrow?"

"Yeah, you're doing dinner right?"

"Yeah, and an Evil Twin marathon. I have all ten on DVD."

"Sounds great. I'll bring Arnold around." Helga waved goodbye one last time before following Gerald out to the exit. On the ride home, she made Gerald play Ronnie Matthews after he hooked his phone up to the car's Bluetooth. Helga also rolled down the windows and opened the sun roof, cranking the music up louder to be heard over the wind.

"I saw, I saw, your face-"

The song was cut off by a cell phone ringing.

"You still at the party?"

"ARNOLD!" Helga laughed, "you missed one awesome party! I did eight shots!"

Gerald flinched. He heard Arnold let out a long breath. "I made her puke it all out."

"Gerald and I had serious talk! I think we're friends now! And he said you wanted to marry me!"

"I never said that!" Gerald rolled his eyes. "I'll call you back when I drop her off. Unless you want to meet up at her house."

"Yeah, I'll be over soon. Wait outside until I get there. We're gonna have to carry her upstairs so she doesn't wake up Olga by trying her quiet drunk walk." Gerald could tell from Arnold's tone of voice that Helga's steps were anything but quiet.

"Great," Gerald replied before clicking the end button phone on the steering wheel.

**H-A!-H-A!**

_Let it go,_ _let it roll right off your shoulder_  
_Don't you know_ _the hardest part is over?_  
_Let it in, let your clarity define you  
__In the end, w__e will only just remember how it feels._

Summer bliss was cut short when reality set in.

It was June.

The days of hanging out at the beach, playing catch in the park, having campfires and staying up late for no reason were over.

Everyone was leaving.

_Our lives are made_ _i__n these small hours,_  
_these little wonders,_ _these twists and turns of fate._  
_Time falls away,_ _but these small hours,_  
_t__hese small hours still remain._

Arnold forced himself to be strong. He had already said goodbye to the boarders and his classmates. Gerald and Helga did drive to the airport to say goodbye.

It was bittersweet.

Most of his memories were in Hillwood. He played baseball for the first time in the street with his first grade classmates. He had his first crush on a classmate at P.S. 118. He helped save his neighborhood from destruction. He threw parties with his grandparents, celebrated every holiday backwards. He made lifelong friends here. He fell in love here.

Hillwood was his home, filled with so many memories it almost hurt to think them all. But he knew he needed to step out and experience something completely different.

Gerald rocked on his heels. He was sick of saying goodbye already. Letting Phoebe go off to college really crushed him. And he knew it hurt Helga too.

Fortunately, Arnold was the last one.

_Let it slide, let your troubles fall behind you,_  
_let it shine until you feel it all around you,_  
_and I don't mind if it's me you need to turn to, we'll get by,_  
_it's the heart that really matters in the end._

Arnold didn't know what to say. There wasn't much too say except "See you soon. I'll call you when I'm settled in." He looked at Gerald, smiling as he held out his fist and thumb. Gerald immediately met his best friend with their signature handshake. They pulled each other into a quick hug. Gerald waved one last time.

"I can't believe we're gonna be empty nesters so soon," Stella sighed as she sat down at their gate. The parents had gone before, giving Arnold a chance to say goodbye alone.

Miles laughed, "You do realize Gerald and Helga will not leave the boarding house until they absolutely have to?"

Gerald turned around and walked towards the short term parking lot in order to let Helga and Arnold have their goodbye moment privately.

_Our lives are made_ _i__n these small hours,_  
_these little wonders,_ _these twists and turns of fate._  
_Time falls away,_ _but these small hours,_  
_t__hese small hours still remain._

Helga poked his tattoo through his shirt, "Seems like just yesterday I was writing that poem and hopelessly dreaming about the day you kissed me."

"A lot has changed since then."

Helga hooked her hands around Arnold's hips, pulling him closer. "Change is the only constant in life."

Arnold smiled, knowing that Helga was repeating that so saying goodbye would seem easier. She was trying to reassure herself. "I'm going to miss you. But I will be back for a few days before school starts. I'll even help you move in to your dorm."

Helga stood up on her tip toes and kissed Arnold as long as she could in public without drawing attention. Arnold pulled back, breathless.

They had spent the night together. Arnold could tell Helga was holding it together, trying incredibly hard to not just break down into tears. He had never been in this situation before. He'd never been in a serious relationship, but figured he was doing well for a first timer. He knew deep down in his heart that nothing could ever tear him from Helga again.

"It's just for two months. I know that seems like a long time, but that time will fly for both of us. This isn't the end of the world."

_All of my regret will wash away some how,_  
_but I can not forget the way I feel right now._

Helga kissed him one last time, "I love you."

He held her hands in his so tight her ring was threatening to embed in his skin. "I love you too."

_In these small hours,_  
_these little wonders,_ _these twists and turns of fate,  
these twists and turns of fate.  
__Time falls away,_ _but these small hours,  
__t__hese small hours still remain,  
__still remain._

_These little wonders, these twists and turns of fate._  
_Time falls away, but these small hours,_  
_these little wonders still remain._

It didn't matter how far apart they were going to be. They were best friends, in love, or too close to not text at least twice a week. It didn't matter that they'd see each other three times a year from now on. Growing up meant leaving town, but loving it enough to come back. And Helga knew that everyone would come back. It would just take some classes to get through.

* * *

**A/N 2:** THE SONG LITTLE WONDERS ALWAYS KILLS ME. I figured it would be perfect to end this story with.

Because, I hate to break it to you, that's it. _This story is over._ I feel like I can't take this story any further without changing everything that's happened. It took me two years to write, but it's done. Seriously. Exactly two years. July 6, 10 - 12.

But, fear not faithful readers, I have started The College Years series! :)


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